Sporobolus nitens

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Stolons present. Culms 19–52 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3.5–9 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; undulate; scabrous; glabrous, or ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 6–14 cm long; contracted about primary branches and with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.2–1.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.33 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein conspicuous; scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.2–1.5 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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