Sporobolus helvolus (Trin.) T.Durand & Schinz

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 15-60 cm long; 1 mm diam.; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2-15 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 4-12 cm long; 0.5-2 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 0.5-2 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. 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; 1.4-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.4-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.4-2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.4-2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; mid-green, or dark brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; 1.4-2 mm long; membranous; mid-green, or dark brown; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 0.6-0.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.5 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial up to 60 cm high, with slender stolons, the stems wiry, about 1 mm in diam. at the base; leaves flat, glaucous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to narrowly lanceolate, 4–12 cm long, the primary branches bearing spikelets or densely spiculate branchlets from the base, mostly appressed to the axis but sometimes somewhat spreading

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 1.4–2 mm long; glumes narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate, the lower 1-nerved, sometimes a little shorter than the upper; lemma narrowly ovate, acute, as long as the upper glume; anthers 3, 0.6–0.8 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain ellipsoid, c. 0.5 mm long.

Distribution

N1–3; C1, 2; S1–3 tropical Africa to India.

Ecology

Altitude range 10–760 m.

Vernacular

Aggagar, dabro, domar, dub derigan, jarbo, saydho (Somali).

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

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial with long slender stolons; culms wiry, 15–60 cm. high, ± 1 mm. in diameter at the base.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, 2–15 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, glaucous, tapering to a filiform tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to narrowly lanceolate, 4–12 cm. long, 5–20 mm. wide, usually distinctly branched with the primary branches 0.5–2 cm. long and bearing dense clusters of spikelets from the base, sometimes contracted and subspiciform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 1.4–2 mm. long, greenish brown; glumes narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, as long as the spikelet or the lower a little shorter, smooth or scaberulous, acuminate; lemma narrowly ovate, as long as the glumes, acute; anthers 3, 0.6–0.8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain ellipsoid, 0.5 mm. long.

Habitat

Open deciduous bushland on heavy black clay or sometimes on lighter seasonally waterlogged soils; 200–1500 m.

Distribution

Mauritania to the Somali Republic, Arabia and India K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 U1

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