Poecilostachys baronis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms prostrate; 20–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 3–25 cm long; 3–26 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1.5–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–25 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3.5–5.5 mm long; 1–1.1 length of upper glume; 0.5–0.7 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliate (above). Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn subapical; 3–10 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; cartilaginous; 2 -veined; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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