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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Megastachya mucronata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 40–90 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 15–20 cm long; 10–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 5–15 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–14 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–2.3 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 1.8–3 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.2–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea elliptic; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate. Anthers 3; 0.6–1.4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; trigonous; 1.2 mm long. Embryo 0.3 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Centotheceae. FTEA.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.