Sorghastrum fuscescens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 80–200 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–60 cm long; 2–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 15–30 cm long.

Racemes flexuous; 3–10 cm long; bearing 5–15 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile, or sessile and pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 0 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures, or from the base. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; without keels.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 12–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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