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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 pulchellum

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms prostrate; 30–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 3–5 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf, or enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate; brown, or red.

Racemes 1; single; 3.5–4 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; plumose on surface; plumose on margins. Rhachis hairs 5–6 mm long. Rhachis internodes clavate; 6–8 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 clavate; 7–10 mm long; plumose; with 5–6 mm long hairs; toothed.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous. 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; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; 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 laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 5 in number. Lower glume surface flat; glabrous. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; straight; 5–6 mm long overall; without a column. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA.

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