Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus panicoides A.Rich.

First published in Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 399 (1850)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Eritrea to S. Africa, SW. Arabian Peninsula. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 15-100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-30 cm long; 2-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 4-18 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; bearing 1-4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch; sterile at lowest node (or bearing only 1-2 spikelets). Panicle branches capillary. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 2-2.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 2-2.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.8-1.7 mm long; 0.4-0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2-2.7 mm long; 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; 1-1.2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; 1.2-1.5 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[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]

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit
Loosely caespitose annual; culms up to 100 cm tall, erect, often branched below; leaf sheaths chartaceous, glabrous on the back, pilose near the margins, slightly compressed; leaf laminas 5–30 cm × 2–6 mm, flat or involute, sparsely pilose above, glabrous beneath, not pectinate-ciliate on the margins, attenuate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 4–22 cm long, narrowly elliptic; branches in a succession of whorls, scaberulous, eglandular, the spikelets 1–4 per branch (but 0–2 on those of the lowermost whorl), evenly distributed in the distal part.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2–2.7 mm long, pallid with purple tinge below; inferior glume 1/3–2/5 the length of the spikelet, rarely minute, narrowly ovate, nerveless, glabrous, obtuse to subacute at the apex; superior glume as long as the spikelet, ovate, 1-nerved, glabrous, acute at the apex; lemma a little shorter than the spikelet, elliptic-ovate; anthers 3, 1.2–1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain rotund or subrotund, 1.2–1.7 mm across, terete.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual; culms 15–100 cm. high, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades linear, 5–30 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, sparsely pilose, not pectinate-ciliate on the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly elliptic, 4–18 cm. long; primary branches in whorls, capillary, bearing 1–4 spikelets, those of the lowest whorl with only 1–2 spikelets or sometimes barren.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2–2.7 mm. long; lower glume narrowly ovate, 0.8–1.7 mm. long; upper glume ovate, as long as the spikelet; lemma elliptic-ovate, 1–1.2 mm. long; anthers 3, 1.2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain spherical, 1.2–1.5 mm. in diameter.
Figures
Fig. 100, p. 360.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland on dry sandy soils in shade, or on grey or black seasonally wet soils; 1100–2000 m.
Distribution
Sudan, Ethiopia and Somali Republic to South Africa K2 K3 T1 T2 T4 T5 T7 U1 U3
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 75 cm high; leaves flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly elliptic, 4–19 cm long; primary branches in whorls, those of the lowermost whorl bearing only 1 or 2 spikelets, sometimes barren
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2–2.7 mm long; lower glume narrowly ovate, (0.8–)1.3–1.7 mm long; upper glume ovate, as long as the spikelet; lemma elliptic-ovate, 1.6–2 mm long; anthers 3, 0.9–1.4 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain spherical, 0.85–1(–1.5) mm in diam.
Distribution
N1; S3; East tropical Africa and Arabia
Ecology
Altitude up to 1600 m.
Vernacular
Agar (Somali).
[FSOM]

Common Names

English
Christmas tree grass, Famine grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/