Poecilostachys tsaratananensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 40–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–12 cm long; 8–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–25 cm long. Rhachis angular; pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing crowded.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long.

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

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.5–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; 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.