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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 montanus
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 15–30 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 2–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; pyramidal; 4–8 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 3.8–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.8–4 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple, or black; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; purple, or black; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
FLOWER Anthers 1.7 mm long; purple.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; 1.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.
NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.