Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus microprotus Stapf

First published in Mém. Soc. Bot. France 8: 218 (1912)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to Ethiopia and Kenya. It is an annual 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]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10-50 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2-14 cm long; 3-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 3-12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1-1.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1-1.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; deciduous; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0-0.2 mm long; 0-0.4 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1-1.2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 1-1.2 mm long; membranous; grey; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 2; 0.3-0.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.7-0.8 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, 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
Loosely tufted annual; culms 10–50 cm. high, erect or ascending.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades broadly linear, 2–14 cm. long, 3–7 mm. wide, the margins pectinate-ciliate towards the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle ovate, 3–12 cm. long; primary branches in whorls, spreading.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1–1.2 mm. long, glabrous or scaberulous, greyish green; lower glume a tiny ovate to oblong scale up to 0.2 mm. long (rarely more), or suppressed; upper glume oblong-elliptic, as long as the spikelet; lemma similar to the upper glume or a little shorter; anthers 2, 0.3–0.6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain obovate, 0.7–0.8 mm. long.
Habitat
Pathsides and dry open places in deciduous bushland; sea-level to 1200 m.
Distribution
K7 U1 U3 Senegal to Eritrea
[FTEA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Height
About 30 cm. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle ovate
Ecology
Roadsides and waste places.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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