Brachiaria coronifera

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–50 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–6 cm long; 3–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 1–2 -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; 1.5–1.7 mm long; with hairs extending 0.5 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface with a transverse fringe of hair. 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; with a transverse fringe of hair; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose, or striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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