Thyridachne tisserantii

HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths papery; glossy. Culms erect; 30–70 cm long; spongy; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths loose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades convolute; 10–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; straight; 5–15 cm long; 0.2–0.3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with evident branchlets on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; glabrous; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; curved; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 3–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; clasping; 0.2–0.3 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; gibbous; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 5 -veined; with thickened veins; readily splitting into two halves; setose; hairy at apex; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret hyaline; 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–3 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 1.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis ellipsoid; flattened.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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