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Descriptions

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

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

Saccharum hildebrandtii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 90–120 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes solid. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 8–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 15–25 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Racemes 1.5–8 cm long; bearing 10–30 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4–5 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled, or sessile; 1–2 in the cluster; subequal, or the upper smaller. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 0–1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 4–5 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, or well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base truncate.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; flexuous; 1.5–2 mm long overall. Palea 0.25–0.5 length of lemma; hyaline.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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