Brachiaria meziana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; knotty. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–35 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–5 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; irregular.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 2.7–3.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 1.3–1.6 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.2–0.5 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate; without keels. Palea surface rugose.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal.

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