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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Melanocenchris jacquemontii
HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 6–30 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; 2–7 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 4–10; borne along a central axis; distant; spreading; cuneate; unilateral; 0.8–1 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 2.5–6 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension a forked bristle.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets barren; 2–3 in number.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; dorsally compressed; 7–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes collateral; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 2.5–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 4.5–6 mm long. Upper glume linear; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4.5–6 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 5.5–6 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets 2–3 in number; dissimilar. First apical floret male; ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; muticous. Apical sterile florets barren; cuneate; 1.2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1.7–2 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia. Asia-tropical: India.
NOTES Cynodonteae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
