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Descriptions

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

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

Oldeania alpina

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–1950 cm long; 50–125 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; mid-green. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several; in an irregular line; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths glabrous, or hispid; with red hairs; auriculate; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade linear; acute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 5–20 cm long; 6–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; dense, or loose; 5–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–40 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 4–8 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 4–8 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–10 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2, or 3 (rarely). Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.

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

NOTES Arundinarieae. FTEA.

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