Brachiaria subulifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 20–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; terete; 5–20 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (1–)2–4; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–5 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white, or yellow. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; subacute; 2.8–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; with cross-veins; pubescent; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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