Sporobolus pyramidalis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms erect; 90–160 cm long; 2–5 mm diam. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 20–50 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 20–45 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading; 5–10 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.7–2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.2–0.6 mm long; 0.5–0.8 length of upper glume; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.5–0.8 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7–2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6–1.1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.8–1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and northwestern. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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