Brachiaria scalaris

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–10 cm long; 2–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–20; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–7 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; irregular; 1–2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; obtuse, or acute; 1.5–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or 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; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose, or striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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