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Brachiaria (Trin.) Griseb. in Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 4:469. 1853. Blatter & McCann, Bombay Grasses 132. 1935; Bor, Fl. Assam 5:270. 1940; Sultan & Stewart, Grasses W. Pak. 1:30. 1958; Bor, Grasses Burma Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 278. 1960; Bor in Towns., Guest & Al-Rawi, Fl. Iraq 9:472. 1968; Bor in Rech.f., Fl. Iran. 70: 476. 1970; Tzvelev, Poaceae URSS 664. 1976; Clay ton in Tntin et al., Fl. Fur. 5:262. 1980.
Panicum subdiv. Brachiaria Trin.
Annuals or perennials. Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; ligule represented by a line of hairs. Inflorescence composed of racemes borne upon a common axis: rhachis triquetrous to ribbon-like, bearing single or sometimes paired spikelets, their lower glume adaxial. Spikelets ovate to oblong, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes the lowest internode elongated, then often accrescent to the sheathing base of the lower glume and forming a short stipe; lower glume mostly shorter than the spikelet; upper glume as long as the spikelet, membranous or herbaceous; lower floret male or sterile, its lemma resembling the upper glume; upper lemma coriaceous to crustaceous, obtuse to acute, usually muticous, its margins covering only the edges of the palea; upper palea obtuse to subacute, its tip tucked within the lemma. Caryopsis elliptic, dorsally compressed.
A genus of about 90 species in the tropics and subtropics, mainly in Africa; 6 species occur in Pakistan.
Brachiaria villosa (Lam.) A. Camus is similar to Brachiaria reptans, differing by its longer lower glume a third to half the length of the spikelet, and its often pubescent spikelets. It was reported as occurring in Pakistan (see Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. 116) but this cannot be confirmed.
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| 1 |
Rhachis of racemes flat, ± ribbon-like, narrowly winged |
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Brachiaria distachya |
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Rhachis of racemes solid, ± triquetrous or crescentic, sometimes with very narrow wings |
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(2) |
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| 2 (1) |
Upper lemma smooth, shining, obtuse; spikelets imbricate; lower glume up to a fifth the length of the spikelet |
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Brachiaria eruciformis |
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Upper lemma granulose to rugose, subacute to mucronulate |
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(3) |
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| 3 (2) |
Spikelets 1.5-2.2 mm long, without a stipe; lower glume up to a quarter the length of the spikelet, rarely a little longer |
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Brachiaria reptans |
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Spikelets 2.5-5 mm long; lower glume a third to half the length of the spikelet, rarely shorter |
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(4) |
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| 4 (3) |
Pedicels, or some of them, longer than the spikelet; spikelets distant, spreading, the racemes often compound |
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Brachiaria deflexa |
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Pedicels shorter than the spikelet; spikelets contiguous and appressed to the racemes, these simple or occasionally the longest with branchlets at the base |
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(5) |
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| 5 (4) |
Upper glume and lower lemma thinly cartilaginous, usually smooth and slightly shiny, sometimes papillose pubescent; spikelets 2.5-4.5 mm long |
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Brachiaria ovalis |
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Upper glume and lower lemma membranous, glabrous or pubescent; spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm long |
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Brachiaria ramosa |
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Lower Taxa
Related Synonym(s):
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