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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Brachiaria multiculma
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 4.5–6 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; 5–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 6–10; borne along a central axis; appressed, or ascending; unilateral; 1–2.5 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 5–6 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; glabrous on surface; scabrous on margins; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing adaxial; irregular; 2–4 -rowed.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 1.5 mm long; scaberulous; pubescent.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.4–2.8 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 1.1–1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.3–2.6 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 2.1–2.5 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with cross-veins. Palea of lower sterile floret 1.8 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2 mm long; 1 mm wide; indurate; yellow; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels. Palea surface rugose.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.25 mm long. Anthers 3; 1 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.5 mm long. Embryo 0.75 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.
DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.
NOTES Paniceae. Morr. & Zuloaga 2000.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
