Sporobolus ioclados

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Basal innovations subterete, or flabellate. Culms erect; 15–80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat; 2–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; glabrous, or ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; pyramidal; 3–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes (4–8 whorls); 3–15 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.5–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 0.2–1 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1.5–2.6 mm long; 0.66–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; pallid, or grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5–3 mm long; membranous; pallid, or grey; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.6–1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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