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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Brachiaria piligera
HABIT Annual. Stolons absent, or present. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long; 3–7 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.7–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–15 cm long; 3–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 3–4; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–6 cm long; bearing 8–18 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 3–12 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged, or broadly winged; angular; 1.1–1.6 mm wide; smooth on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 1–2 -rowed.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.3–0.6 mm long; scabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3.3–4.9 mm long; 1.5–1.8 mm wide; with hairs extending 0–0.5 mm beyond apex; falling entire. Spikelet callus square; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate; clasping; 1.9–2.7 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; pilose; without hair tufts, or with a transverse fringe of hair; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–4 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate; without keels. Palea surface rugose.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–1.7 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Paniceae. Webster.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
