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Descriptions

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

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

Paratheria prostrata

HABIT Perennial. Culms prostrate; 15–60 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–7 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 8–15; borne along a central axis; in a multilateral false spike; appressed; (1.7–)3–5 cm long; bearing 1 spikelet. Central inflorescence axis 7–15 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; scabrous on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like. Spikelet packing abaxial. Raceme-bases linear; 2–8 mm long; pilose (above); shed with the raceme; pungent.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; (8–)15–20 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1–2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1–2 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of fertile lemma; membranous; 7–11 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; (6–)10–12 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; 7 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in upper sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FWTA.

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