Poecilostachys gougerotiana

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 20–25 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–4.5 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–5; borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 3.5–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–12 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels 2–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2.5–2.8 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 2.6–2.8 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 3 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. 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.