Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus minutus Link

First published in Hort. Berol. 1: 88 (1827)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Cape Verde, NE. Sudan to Somalia, Socotra, Arabian Peninsula. It is an annual 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

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 16 cm high
Morphology Leaves
Leaves flat, 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm wide, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly elliptic, 2–4 cm long; primary branches in whorls, the lowest never barren
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 0.95–1.4 mm long; lower glume elliptic-ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm long; upper glume narrowly ovate, as long as the spikelet; lemma ovate, 0.8–1.2 mm long; anthers 2, c. 0.2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain obovate, 0.5–0.6 mm long.
Distribution
N2; C1; S1, 3; eastern Africa; Arabia
Ecology
Altitude c. 180 m.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms 4-16 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1-4 cm long; 0.5-0.8(-1.3) mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 2-4 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 0.95-1.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 0.95-1.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume elliptic, or ovate; 0.3-0.5 mm long; 0.3 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.95-1.4 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 0.8-1.2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 2; 0.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.5-0.6 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. TAC.
[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 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