Poecilostachys viguieri

HABIT Perennial. Culms rambling; 20–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–7.5 cm long; 6–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–6; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1.5–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–12 cm long. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels 0.5–3 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous; glabrous. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 5–6 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. 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; 5 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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