Sporobolus balansae

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–50 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; tapering towards tip; 5–6 cm long; 2–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 10–14 cm long; 0.4–0.6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets. Lower glume oblong; 0.4–0.5 mm long; 0.33 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1.2–1.5 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.2–1.4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ovoid.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lecomte 1994.

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