Brachiaria notochthona

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 12–20 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–5 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–2 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 4–4.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.5–0.75 mm long; 0.1–0.15 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.75–1 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC 1995.

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