Brachiaria oligobrachiata

HABIT Annual. Culms robust; 60–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades 10–60 cm long; 5–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–8 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–15 cm long; tip without extension, or filiform. Rhachis broadly winged; 1–3 mm wide; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 4–6 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. 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; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.5–5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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