Brachiaria marlothii

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Stolons absent, or present. Culms decumbent; 5–50 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10–140 cm long; 1–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; borne along a central axis; simply spaced, or closely spaced; in a head; unilateral; 0.5–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0.3–7 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing crowded; regular; 4 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; cuspidate; 2–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; with transverse tufts of hair. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; with marginal tufts of hair; 2 hair tufts in all; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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