Brachiaria arrecta

HABIT Perennial. Culms rambling; 30–130 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–25 cm long; 5–15 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–25 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; 0.5–1.5 mm wide; scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3–4.3 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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