Snowdenia petitiana

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 30–90 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths retrorsely scabrous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; 3–13 cm long; 4–15 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

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

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.2–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.5–1 length of upper glume; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 0.4–0.6 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex 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; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–5 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–3.6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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