Poecilostachys manongarivensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms rambling; 100–200 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 7–20 cm long; 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 6–20; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 15–30 cm long. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels 1.6 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex obtuse; muticous. Upper glume ovate; 2.8 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 4.8–5.2 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; 5–6 mm long; cartilaginous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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