Nematopoa longipes

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–80 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; involute, or convolute; 10–25 cm long; 0.5–0.75 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 10–16 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; straight, or flexuous; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 4–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; pubescent. Floret callus evident; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.9–2.8 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or distinct. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5–4.3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; 8–13 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Arundineae. CEH.

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