Lepturus boinensis

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–35 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades 10–16 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; straight, or flexuous; smoothly terete; bilateral; 8–10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated; 1.5–1.7 mm wide; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; opposite; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes oblong; 5.5–6 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; flat.

Spikelets sunken; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 6–6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure (but terminal spikelet with 2 glumes 6–7mm long); exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex cuspidate; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Rhachilla extension 1.5 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate; 2.5–2.8 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.