Brachiaria pubescens

HABIT Perennial; short-lived; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; slender; 60–90 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–7; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–5.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; hirsute on surface. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 3.8–4.2 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; 0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; dull. Lower glume obovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth; pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; smooth; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.8–4.2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface papillose; rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.2 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Eth 1997.

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