Sporobolus fimbriatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending; 50–100(–150) cm long; 2–3 mm diam. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; firm. Leaf-blade midrib evident, or widened. Leaf-blade venation indistinct. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 15–50 cm long; contracted about primary branches, or contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches 2–9(–15) cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.4–2.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets, or reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 0.6–1.4 mm long; 0.25–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.3–2 mm long; 0.66–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; dark green; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.4–2.2 mm long; membranous; dark green; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.9–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; quadrangular; 0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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