Brachiaria xantholeuca

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 20–60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 3–15 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute, or cuspidate; 2.7–4 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

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; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface hispidulous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; hispidulous; cuspidate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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