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Descriptions

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

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

Tenaxia subulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–45 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect; straight, or curled; filiform; convolute; 10–20 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes, or comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1–5 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear; 5–8 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches simple; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 5–8 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1.5 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 10–12 mm long; 1.3–1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous; with marginal hair tufts; bearing 2–4 hair tufts in all. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.5–0.7 of lemma length; acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 6–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 3–4 mm long. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Arundineae. FTA.

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