Sporobolus stapfianus Gand.

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

Morphology General Habit

Densely caespitose perennial, the basal leaf-sheaths forming a compacted mass of fine fibres with age, these woolly within; culms 6–40 cm. high, slender.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades convolute, 3–15 cm. long; sheath-margins tomentose with curly hairs (whence the woolly fibres).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle ovate, 3–15 cm. long, diffuse, rarely linear and ± condensed, the branches capillary and tinged with red.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 1.4–2.1 mm. long, greyish green or sometimes dark green; lower glume narrowly ovate, 0.8–1.1 mm. long; upper glume narrowly ovate, 0.8–1.5 mm. long, 1/2–2/3 as long as the spikelet, acute; lemma narrowly ovate, as long as the spikelet, acute; anthers 3, 0.8–1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain obovoid, truncate, 0.5–0.7 mm. long.

Habitat

Sandy or shallow soils, or on rock outcrops in wooded grassland or deciduous bushland, often heavily grazed, also on compacted soils with impeded drainage; 600–2300 m.

Distribution

K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 Nigeria and Ethiopia to South Africa (Transvaal, Natal)Madagascar

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

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

Note

Very similar to the following (Sporobolus festivus), but with a less delicate inflorescence.

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

Morphology General Habit

Densely caespitose perennial without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 40(55) cm tall, erect, unbranched; basal leaf sheaths chartaceous, tomentose on the margins with curly yellow or brown hairs, terete, decaying with age into a compact mass of fine fibres, the woolly hairs retained within; leaf laminas 3–15 cm long, involute-filiform, smooth or scaberulous on the surface, scabrid on the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 3–15 cm long, ovate and diffuse or rarely linear and somewhat condensed; primary branches not in whorls, capillary, tinged with red, smooth or scaberulous, eglandular, the spikelets evenly distributed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets (1.2)1.4–2.1 mm long, greyish-green or sometimes dark greenish-purple or olive; inferior glume 1/3–2/3 the length of the spikelet, narrowly ovate to oblong, nerveless, glabrous or minutely hispidulous, acute to acuminate or obtuse-denticulate at the apex; superior glume 1/2–2/3(4/5) the length of the spikelet, narrowly ovate, 1-nerved, glabrous or minutely hispidulous, acute at the apex; lemma as long as the spikelet, narrowly ovate, acute; anthers 3, 0.8–1.2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain 0.5–0.7 mm long, obovate, truncate.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths woolly; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 6-40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy (tomentose). Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 3-15 cm long; 1-2 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or ovate; dense, or loose, or effuse; 3-15 cm long. Panicle branches capillary (red); glabrous in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.4-2.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.4-2.1 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 ovate; 0.8-1.1 mm long; 0.9-1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8-1.5 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; dark green, or grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; 1.4-2.1 mm long; membranous; dark green, or grey; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 0.8-1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.5-0.7 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.