Brachiaria serrata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths villous, or woolly. Culms 20–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–25 cm long; 2–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent, or pilose. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–15 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; with scattered hairs. Spikelet packing adaxial; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; cuspidate; 2.3–4.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus brief.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with a transverse fringe of hair. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; thinner along midline; 5 -veined; pubescent; with dorsal tufts of hair; cuspidate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0–1 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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