Urochloa rudis

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 20–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–15 cm long; 6–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; moderately hairy, or densely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–6 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels bearing a few hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed moderately; plano-convex; cuspidate; 3.5–5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; clasping; 0.1–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0–3 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 11 -veined. Upper glume surface tuberculate; glabrous, or setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 7 -veined; tuberculate; cuspidate. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on keels at maturity. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3 mm long; indurate; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface reticulate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.5 mm long overall. Palea indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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