Schizachyrium jeffreysii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–45 cm long. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 5–15 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 3–5 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 6–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; villous on surface; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 2–4 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear, or clavate; 7 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 linear; villous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; puberulous; setaceously attenuate. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; wingless. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 6 in number. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume apex emarginate; mucronate. Upper glume oblong; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 6–7 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; 6 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5–0.75 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; adnate to lemma lobes at base; 14–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate; 4.5 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA 1993.

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