Snowdenia mutica

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms rambling; 30–90 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths smooth; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; multilateral; 3–7 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing abaxial; irregular.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5–1 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 5–5.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 0.6–1 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; scabrous; rough on veins; acuminate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0–5 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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