GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sacciolepis indica

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; slender; 10–100 cm long; with aerial roots from the nodes. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect; 0–2 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–20 cm long; 1–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ungrooved; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; 1–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.66 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; gibbous; 1.3–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; ribbed; glabrous, or pubescent; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.1–0.2 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1–2 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; coriaceous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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