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.

Sacciolepis cingularis

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; 2–4 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 7–10 cm long; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; striately veined; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 7–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially; puberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; callose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; truncate or rounded at the ends; 1–2.5 cm long; 0.6–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels puberulous; tip discoid.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 4 mm long; 1.5 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; ribbed; with a transverse fringe of hair; bearing hairs 2 mm long; acuminate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.75 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; coriaceous; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; coriaceous.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1998.

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