Sporobolus kerrii

HABIT Annual. Culms 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 10–25 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 10–20 cm long; 6–7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches glandular; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 3.5–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; red; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4 mm long; membranous; red; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2.5–3.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; biconvex; 1.5 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Bor 1993.

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