Acroceras elegans

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 25–40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2.5–4 cm long; 4–6 mm wide; membranous. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 8–9; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 11–16 cm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1.5–1.7 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 1.5–1.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–0.9 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; puberulous. Upper glume mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma oblanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; with a green spot; mucronate. Palea involute; 1 length of lemma; indurate.

FRUIT Disseminule comprising a spikelet.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Camus 2007.

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