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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Rostraria balansae

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 6–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–8 cm long; 2.5 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pubescent. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle spiciform; oblong; continuous, or interrupted; 1.5–5 cm long; 0.7–1.5 cm wide. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.8 way up back of lemma; 2.5 mm long overall. Palea gaping; 2.5 mm long; hyaline. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.6 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.2–1.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Afr N 1997.

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