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 pulchellus

HABIT Annual. Culms 4–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1–7 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 1–8 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 lanceolate; subterete; 0.7–0.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 0.7–0.8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

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

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC 1994.

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