Sporobolus geminatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 90–200 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 60–120 cm long; 8 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; effuse; 30–40 cm long; 3–5 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary (lateral), or in pairs (distal). Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.5–1.9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.7–1.1 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.2 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; dark green; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–1.9 mm long; membranous; dark green; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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