Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus brockmanii Stapf

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1907: 220 (1907)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Djibouti to Somalia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

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

Type
N1, “Golis Range”, Drake-Brockman 11 (K holo.).
Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial up to 85 cm high, arising from a short oblique rhizome, the stems 1–1.75 mm in diam. at the base; basal sheaths rather broad and papery; leaves mostly basal, the midrib scarcely more prominent than the secondary nerves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle linear, spike-like, (6–)10–21 cm long, the primary branches 1–4 cm long, the spikelets appressed along the whole length of the secondary branchlets, these clustered about the whole length of the primary or the latter naked in the lower 1/3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.7–2.1(–2.4) mm long; lower glume lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, 0.8–1.3 mm long; upper glume similar in shape, about 2/3–3/4 the length of the spikelet; lemma narrowly ovate, as long as the spikelet; anthers 3, 1–1.4 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain not known.
Distribution
N1, 2; C1 not known elsewhere.
Ecology
Grassland and juniper forest on the deeper soils at 1300–1650 m, and coastal plains at 0–50 m.
Vernacular
Gagarariedu, garragarro, saddeho (Somali).
Note
Two populations exist in Somalia: one at altitudes of between 1300 and 1650 m in the northern mountains, and another on coastal plains between Hobyo and Ceel Dheere. Apart from the obvious difference in habitat, the coastal population differs in having the narrower leaves with a long tapering point characteristic of S. africanus (Poir.) A. Robyns & Tournay, but it does have the longer upper glume found in the northern population. It is possible that the two populations represent different taxa, but the whole complex, including S. fimbriatus and S. agrostoides, is very poorly understood at present.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths papery. Culms 30-85 cm long; 1-1.25 mm diam. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; 10-21 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1-4 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.7-2.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.7-2.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8-1.3 mm long; 0.5-0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.66-0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7-2.2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1-1.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical.
Reference
Eragrostideae. TAC 1993.
[GB]

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]

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

  • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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