GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sporobolus infirmus

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 10–30 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1–5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 2–12 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; (0.8–)1.3–1.7(–2) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; (0.8–)1.3–1.7(–2) mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–0.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; 0.5–0.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.

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