Brachiaria malacodes

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; slender; 25–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7–10 cm long; 6–14 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–6 cm long. Panicle branches capillary.

Racemes unilateral; 0.5–1 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; crowded; regular; 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; obtuse; 2.5 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -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 pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. 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.