Brachiaria serrifolia

HABIT Annual. Culms 40–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base cordate, or amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–25 cm long; 8–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; serrulate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–14; borne along a central axis; ascending, or appressed; unilateral; 3–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–20 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; subacute, or acute; 4–5 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.5–4.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface corrugate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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