GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sporobolus minutus

HABIT Annual. Culms 4–16 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1–4 cm long; 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 2–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 0.95–1.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume elliptic, or ovate; 0.3–0.5 mm long; 0.3 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.95–1.4 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 0.8–1.2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.5–0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. TAC.

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