Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus linearis Mez

First published in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 295 (1921)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mauritius. 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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 16-55 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform; 10-23 cm long; 0.5-1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle linear; interrupted; 8-18 cm long; 0.2-0.4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; distant; simple; 1-1.5 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5-2.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 2.5-3 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 oblong; 0.33 length of spikelet; hyaline, or membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; membranous; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate. Palea apex entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis oblong; 1.5 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: western Indian ocean.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Renvoize 2007.
[GB]

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