Brachiaria glomerata

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–9 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex callose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–12; borne along a central axis; distant, or closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike, or in an interrupted false spike; appressed; oblong, or globose; unilateral; 1–2.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; villous on surface. Spikelet packing adaxial; crowded; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2–4 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 2.5–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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