Brachiaria platyphylla

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 30–80 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–12 cm long; 6–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–6; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8–18 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; 1.6–2.3 mm wide. Spikelet packing adaxial; distant; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 4–4.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; 1.25–1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. 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; with cross-veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.2–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

FRUIT Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia. North America: north-central USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA. South America: Caribbean, western South America, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Gould.

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