Tetrapogon villosus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 20–40 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes black. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–6(–10) cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; appressed back to back; erect; unilateral; 2–8 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse, or acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 8–10 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 3 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 2–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; oblong; dorsally compressed; biconvex; 1.5 mm long.

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

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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