Triticum recognitum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 60–100 cm long. Culm-internodes hollow. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–60 cm long; 10–15 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; linear; bilateral; 5–18 cm long. Rhachis tough; flattened; glabrous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded, or contiguous, or lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long; persistent on plant.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; winged on keel; winged above; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume apex with a unilateral tooth; acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins divergent at apex. Upper glume apex with a unilateral tooth; acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12–15 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5–9 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex. Hilum linear. Endosperm flinty.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Eth 1997.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Raceme dorsally compressed or square in section.

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