Urochloa platyrrhachis

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 20–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–10 cm long; 3–12 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–3; single, or paired, or digitate; unilateral; 1–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–1 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; foliaceous; with sharp-edged midrib; 2–5 mm wide. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed strongly; plano-convex; subacute; 3.5–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.05–0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; thinner along midline; 5 -veined; sulcate; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on flanks at maturity. Fertile lemma orbicular; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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