Parahyparrhenia perennis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–80 cm long; 1 mm diam. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 2 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 10–30 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 6–9 cm long; herbaceous.

Racemes 2; paired; 3 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4–7 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat; with lobed rim. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 4 mm long; glabrous.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; barren; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet lower glume muticous; lemmas awnless.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus indistinct; obtuse. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; awned; with 0.7–3 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 4.5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 0.8–1.3 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs red.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove. Upper glume oblong; coriaceous. Upper glume awned. Upper glume awn 6–10 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; incised 0.1 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 2.7–3.4 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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