Poecilostachys ambositrensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms rambling; 60 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades aciculate; 5–10 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–28 cm long. Rhachis angular; smooth on margins. Spikelet packing irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels 1–7.5 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5.5–7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.3–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 3–6 mm long (deciduous). Upper glume ovate; 4 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate (0.5mm).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2002.

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