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 splendens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 150–200 cm long; 5–10 mm diam. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 2–6 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 30–60 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 40–60 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 5–15 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches bearing congested spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.5–2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.8–2 mm long; membranous; purple; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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