Sporobolus coromandelianus

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 7–20 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 0.9–1.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.1–0.5 mm long; 0.1–0.3 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.9–1.7 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 0.9–1.7 mm long; membranous; grey; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3, or 2 (rarely); 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.7–0.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. TAC 2000.

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