Brachiaria praetervisa

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 25–45 cm long; 2–3 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes channelled. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths loose; keeled; glabrous on surface to hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; entire, or crenate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–6 cm long; simple, or with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 5–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 0.5 mm wide; pubescent on margins. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3.5–4 mm long; falling entire.

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

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute, or cuspidate. Fertile lemma oblong; 3–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate, or awned. Palea involute; indurate; without keels. Palea surface rugose.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Vickery.

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