Sporobolus copei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long; 3 mm diam. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat; 30–60 cm long; 6–8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 30–42 cm long; 1.5–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 6–8 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.8 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2.3 mm long; 0.9 length of lemma; 1 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 1.1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; quadrangular; 1.2 mm long; truncate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Verloove 2011.

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