Sporobolus floridanus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths indurate; glossy. Culms erect; 75–100 cm long. Leaves without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 15–35 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 7–15 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous. Panicle branches scabrous; pubescent in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4–5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.

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