Sporobolus phleoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 10–20 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; continuous; truncate or rounded at the ends, or tapering above; 8–25 cm long; 0.3–0.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 1 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.6–1.8 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea readily splitting down midline; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 0.4–0.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.5 mm long; light brown.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Parodi 1995.

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