Sporobolus tenuissimus

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 18–80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 10–40 cm long; 2–6 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 0.8–1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume oblong; 0.1–0.2 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex erose; truncate. Upper glume ovate; 0.3–0.5 mm long; 0.3–0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 0.8–1 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.1–0.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.4–0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Pacific: south-central. 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.