Poecilostachys confertiflora

HABIT Annual. Culms prostrate; 30–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4.5–7 cm long. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–5; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1.2–3.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–15 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–6 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–7 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; attenuate. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea involute; cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Camus 2007.

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