Brachiaria leersioides

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–100 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 1–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–14; borne along a central axis; deflexed, or spreading; unilateral; 1–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–20 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; subacute; 2–3.5 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface corrugate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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