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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 decidua

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms robust; 100–210 cm long; 2–4 mm diam.; 20–45 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 2.5–10 cm long; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.2–2 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; flat, or involute; 7–10(–12) cm long; 2–5(–10) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 3–18 cm long; glabrous.

Racemes 6–20; borne along a central axis; 6–12 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3 mm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; angular; 1.2–3 mm long; scaberulous; ciliate; hairy at tip.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4.4–4.8 mm long; 1.6–1.8 mm wide; falling entire. Spikelet callus square. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 3.2–4 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3.6–4 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined. Palea of lower sterile floret hyaline; 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 3.6–4 mm long; 1.5–1.6 mm wide; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex laterally pinched and pubescent. Palea 1 length of lemma; indurate; without keels. Palea surface rugose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5 mm long. Anthers subglobose; 2.4–2.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Morrone & Zuloaga 2004.

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