Sporobolus pectinatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths papery; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 15–30 cm long; 4–7 mm wide; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–20 cm long; contracted about secondary branches and with spikelets clustered towards branch tips (as a spiciform clump). Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; grey, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; grey, or purple; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Chippindall 1994.

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