Brachiaria paucispicata

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 40–70 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–14 cm long; 10–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; crenate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–6; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–3.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–12 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing irregular.

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; 6–8 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. 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; pubescent; cuspidate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5–6 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex rostrate; laterally pinched. Palea involute; indurate. Palea surface granular.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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