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Descriptions

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

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

Tristachya lualabaensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; glabrous, or pubescent. Culms erect; 70–140 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 6–30 cm long; 2–6 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 8–25 cm long.

Spikelets in threes, or in pairs (rarely). Fertile spikelets pedicelled; (2–)3 in the cluster. Pedicels free; filiform; unequal; 2–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 10–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume elliptic; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 9–13 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.2–0.4 of lemma length; setaceously attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; subterete below; 15–35 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTEA.

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