Lepturus androyensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–35 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–8.5 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; bilateral; 4–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated; 1–1.5 mm wide; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; alternate; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes oblong; 3–4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat.

Spikelets sunken; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure (but terminal spikelet with 2 glumes 7mm long); exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned only on distal spikelets; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3.5–4 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2.6–2.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Leptureae. Camus 2007.

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