Sporobolus elatior

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 150–250 cm long; 4–6 mm diam. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 30–50 cm long; 7–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 30–50 cm long; 10–20 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.7–2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.75 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7–2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Madag 1997.

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