Sporobolus buckleyi

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 40–100 cm long; 0.7–2 mm diam. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.4 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 12–30 cm long; 4–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–40 cm long; 7–17 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 5–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.3–2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.6–1 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.3–2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.3–2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea readily splitting down midline; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; laterally compressed; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Tex 1993.

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