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Descriptions

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

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

Schizachyrium djalonicum

HABIT Annual. Culms prostrate; 30–40 cm long; 1–1.3 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 0.4–6 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 1.5–3 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 1.5–2 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by awns; comprising 1 awn; 7–8 mm long; deciduous with the fertile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.5 mm long; bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 3 in number. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.6–0.7 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 26 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 12 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FWTA.

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