Brachiaria psammophila

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–13 cm long; 7–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; densely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–7; borne along a central axis; appressed; linear, or oblong; unilateral; 1–3 cm long; secondarily branched; secondary branches glomerate. Central inflorescence axis 5–15 cm long; pilose, or villous. Rhachis wingless; angular; pilose on surface, or villous on surface. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–4 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 1 mm long; villous; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3–4.5 mm long; with hairs extending 1 mm beyond apex; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; villous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr S Afr.

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