Snowdenia polystachya

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 15–180 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–30 cm long; 2–18 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple, or compound. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; multilateral; 2–5 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing abaxial; irregular.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 0.1 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; entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse, or acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–7 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–3.3 mm long; membranous; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex truncate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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