Brachiaria chusqueoides

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent, or rambling; slender; 30–75 cm long; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–12 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–7; borne along a central axis; distant; unilateral; 1.5–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–13 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; lax; irregular.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3–5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus square; 0.2–0.5 mm long.

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

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; 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 rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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