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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 lomaense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 15–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–12 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 1; single; 2–2.5 cm long; bearing 7–8 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 2 mm long. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform; with simple rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 1.1–1.2 mm long; glabrous; tip cupuliform.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–5 mm long; longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acuminate; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 0.5 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; keeled laterally; wingless. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–3 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5–2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.66–0.75 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 11–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 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.