Sporobolus wallichii

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 90–120 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–46 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 25–45 cm long; 10–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 5–10 cm long. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–8 mm long.

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

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic, or oblong; 0.5–0.75 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

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

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; quadrangular; 1 mm long; dark brown; truncate. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Tex 1993.

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