Poecilostachys oplismenoides

HABIT Perennial. Culms prostrate; 30–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–15 cm long; 5–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–7 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 6–20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.6 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 5–6 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 7 -veined; setose; with tubercle-based hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; rounded except near apex; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; cartilaginous; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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