Lepargochloa Launert
Sometimes referred to Loxodera (L. rhytachnoides
Habit, vegetative morphology. Perennial; decumbent. Culms about 20–90 cm high; herbaceous; unbranched above. Culm nodes hairy. Leaves not basally aggregated; non-auriculate. Leaf blades narrowly linear; narrow; to 6 mm wide; flat, or rolled (involute); without cross venation; an unfringed membrane; 2 mm long.
Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual, with bisexual spikelets; with hermaphrodite florets. The spikelets homomorphic.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence a terminal, spiciform ‘raceme’; non-digitate; espatheate (seemingly); not comprising ‘partial inflorescences’ and foliar organs. Spikelet-bearing axes ‘racemes’ and spikelike; solitary; with substantial rachides; persistent (seemingly). ‘Articles’ non-linear (subclavate); not appendaged (but the tips bristly-hairy); transversely jointed; densely long-hairy. Spikelets paired; sessile and pedicellate; consistently in ‘long-and-short’ combinations; in pedicellate/sessile combinations. Pedicels of the ‘pedicellate’ spikelets free of the rachis. The ‘shorter’ spikelets hermaphrodite. The ‘longer’ spikelets hermaphrodite.
Female-fertile spikelets. Spikelets 7–9 mm long; compressed dorsiventrally; falling with the glumes (presumably?). Rachilla terminated by a female-fertile floret. Hairy callus present. Callus short.
Glumes two; more or less equal; long relative to the adjacent lemmas; hairy (G1 with setaceous hairs, G2 ciliate); with distinct hair tufts (the setaceous hairs of the G1 in tufts); awnless; very dissimilar (G1 leathery, rugose, convex to flattened on the back, G2 thinner and boat-shaped). Lower glume not two-keeled; convex on the back to flattened on the back; not pitted; rugose to tuberculate; 7 nerved. Upper glume 3 nerved. Spikelets with incomplete florets. The incomplete florets proximal to the female-fertile florets. Spikelets with proximal incomplete florets. The proximal incomplete florets 1; paleate; male. The proximal lemmas awnless; 2(–3) nerved; decidedly exceeding the female-fertile lemmas; similar in texture to the female-fertile lemmas (thinly membranous); not becoming indurated.
Female-fertile florets 1. Lemmas ovate-elliptic; less firm than the glumes (thinly membranous); not becoming indurated; entire; pointed, or blunt; awnless; hairless (with ciliate margins); non-carinate; without a germination flap; 3 nerved. Palea present; relatively long; entire (acute or sub-acute); awnless, without apical setae; not indurated; 2-nerved; 2-keeled. Lodicules present; 2; free; fleshy; glabrous. Stamens 3. Anthers not penicillate; without an apically prolonged connective. Ovary glabrous. Stigmas 2.
Taxonomy. Panicoideae; Andropogonodae; Andropogoneae; Rottboelliinae.
Distribution, ecology, phytogeography. 1 species; tropical southern Africa.
Paleotropical. African. Sudano-Angolan. South Tropical African.
References, etc. Morphological/taxonomic: Launert 1961.
Special comments. Fruit data wanting. Anatomical data wanting.
Cite this publication as: Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). ‘Grass Genera of the World: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval; including Synonyms, Morphology, Anatomy, Physiology, Phytochemistry, Cytology, Classification, Pathogens, World and Local Distribution, and References.’ http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/. Version: 18th August 1999. Dallwitz (1980), Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1998), and Watson and Dallwitz (1994), and Watson, Dallwitz, and Johnston (1986) should also be cited (see References).