Brachiaria semiundulata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 5–40 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 1–4 cm long; 2–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–18; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–1 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–6 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. 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 orbicular; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; gibbous (almost hemispherical); obtuse, or subacute; 1.5–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; hemispherical; 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, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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