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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Puelia olyriformis
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph; knotty. Culms erect; 40–100 cm long; firm. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–30 cm long; 20–60 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear; 10–20 cm long; 1–3 cm wide.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 10–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus subtended by a fleshy frill; these appendages 0.2 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2–4 mm long; 0.5–0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–5 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 9–11 mm long; herbaceous; 11 -veined; ribbed; ciliolate on margins; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret pilose. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–11 mm long; coriaceous (softly); pallid; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex truncate. Palea ovate; 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 8 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent. Palea apex truncate.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; oblanceolate; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 3.5 mm long. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 3; papillose. Styles connate below. Ovary umbonate.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and east tropical.
NOTES Atractocarpeae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
