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Descriptions

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

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

Sporobolus contiguus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Glands elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–70 cm long; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes channelled; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; scaberulous; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades flexuous; 8–17 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially, or on both sides; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; spinulose. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 10–22 cm long; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2–3 -nate; whorled at lower nodes; 7–14 cm long. Panicle axis glandular; smooth. Panicle branches stiff; smooth.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; subterete; 1.5–1.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.4–1.6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5–1.7 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea readily splitting down midline; 1.3–1.4 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate. Palea surface scabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.35–0.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; laterally compressed; 0.65–0.9 mm long; obtuse.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Blake 1994.

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