Dimeria manongarivensis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 18–20 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaves without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths keeled; hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–4 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with 4 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface hirsute. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; unilateral; 3–3.5 cm long. Rhachis flattened; 0.2–0.3 mm wide; scaberulous on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes 3 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus base obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower narrower than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 3.8–4 mm long; 0.9–1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous, or coriaceous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Camus 2007.

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