Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus agrostoides Chiov.

First published in Annuario Reale Ist. Bot. Roma 7: 67 (1897)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Djibouti to Rwanda and Tanzania. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
S1, “Sidlei”, Riva 1207 (FT holo.).
Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial up to 140 cm high, arising from a short oblique rhizome; basal sheaths broad and papery; leaves 6–9 mm wide, soft and shining, usually smooth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 15–40 cm long, graceful, rather diffuse, the primary branches filiform and bare for much of their length, the spikelets ± appressed along the length of the secondary and tertiary branchlets
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.6–2 mm long; lower glume lanceolate, 0.7–1.3 mm long; upper glume narrowly ovate, 3/4–4/5 the length of the spikelet; lemma narrowly ovate, as long as the spikelet; anthers 3, c. 0.8 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain ellipsoid, c. 0.7 mm long.
Distribution
S1–3; East Africa from Somalia to the eastern border of Rep. Dem. Congo.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 35-140 cm long; 2-3 mm diam. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat; 20-40 cm long; 6-9 mm wide; flaccid (shiny). Leaf-blade venation distinct. Leaf-blade surface smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; loose, or effuse; 15-40 cm long; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches naked below. Panicle branches glabrous in axils. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.6-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.6-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7-1.3 mm long; 0.5-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.3-1.5 mm long; 0.75-0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; dark green; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 1.6-2 mm long; membranous; dark green; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.8 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.7 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial, arising from a short oblique rhizome; culms 35–140 cm. high, 2–3 mm. in diameter at the base.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, 20–40 cm. long, mostly 6–9 mm. wide, soft and shining, usually smooth with the secondary veins clearly visible, rarely sparsely pilose or scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 15–40 cm. long, graceful, rather diffuse, the primary branches filiform and bare for most of their length, the spikelets ± appressed along the length of the secondary branches.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.6–2 mm. long, dark green; lower glume lanceolate, 0.7–1.3 mm. long; upper glume narrowly ovate, 1.3–1.5 mm. long, 3/4–4/5 as long as the spikelet; lemma narrowly ovate, as long as the spikelet; anthers 3, 0.8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain ellipsoid, 0.7 mm. long.
Habitat
In shade of upland evergreen or riverine forest, also on roadsides and old farmland; 1300–2700 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T2 T3 T6 T7 U2 U3 U4
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0