Sporobolus micranthus

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Glands wart-like (leaf), or elongated (panicle). Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths pilose; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1.5–9 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins glandular; tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; 5–20 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches glandular; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1–2.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.4–0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; red; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 1–2.1 mm long; membranous; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.25–0.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; 0.7–1.2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FZ 1997.

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