Sporobolus tetragonus

HABIT Annual. Culms 25–55 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 4–9 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 10–25 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; rebranched above middle; 2–5 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.75 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.75 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.75 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1–1.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; quadrangular; 0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Bor 1993.

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