Sporobolus natalensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths papery. Culms erect; 60–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 25–50 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 20–30 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 3–7 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.6–2.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 0.5–0.8 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.8–1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.6–2.3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.7–0.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and middle Atlantic ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Grain truncate.

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