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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Brachiaria brizantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–200 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–100 cm long; 3–20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (1–)2–16; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–20 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–20 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; semiterete; 1 mm wide; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 1 -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; subacute, or acute; 4–6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus square. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–11 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.5–5.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: 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.