Brachiaria breviglumis

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–25 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–6 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–5; borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 0.5–1.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–6 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 2 mm long; with hairs extending 0.5–1 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.2 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; villous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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