Sporobolus diandrus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms erect; 30–90 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 2–4 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.2–1.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–1.8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; oblong, or obovoid; 0.8–1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia, northeast tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Maur.

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