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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Tetrapogon cenchriformis

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; 3–6 -noded. Culm-nodes black. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 3–12 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1–2; single, or paired; ascending; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5(–7) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–9 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate, or setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–12 mm long; 1.7–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate, or setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4–6 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 7–11 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets (1–)4(–6) in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous, or pilose; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 2–8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; dorsally compressed; biconvex; 2–2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FW 1995.

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