Brachiaria longiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms slender; 30–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 8–20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–7 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; villous on surface. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets 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; 7–8.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.5–1 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. 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; chartaceous; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–7 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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