Brachiaria reptans

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 15–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–8 cm long; 3–15 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 1.5–2.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; clasping; 0.15–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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