Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus hians Van Schaack

First published in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 37: 397 (1950)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Brazil. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 25-50 cm long; 5-6 -noded. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4-7 cm long; 2-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; pyramidal; 10-20 cm long; 10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; smooth, or scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 1.6-1.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 1.6-1.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex erose; obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.9-1 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex erose; truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5-1.7 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea readily splitting down midline; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Van Schaack 2002.
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

  • 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