Brachiaria leucacrantha

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 10–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–10 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–9; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; crowded; 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; caudate, or acuminate; 4–5 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with marginal tufts of hair. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; with marginal tufts of hair; 2 hair tufts in all; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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