Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus stolzii Mez

First published in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 297 (1921)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. 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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual; culms 10–60 cm. high, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades linear, 1–6 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, pectinate-ciliate on the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly elliptic, 5–14 cm. long; primary branches in whorls, smooth, bearing 6–30 spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 0.9–1.6 mm. long, glabrous or hispidulous; lower glume lanceolate, 0.4–0.6 mm. long; upper glume ovate-elliptic, as long as the spikelet, smooth or spinulose; lemma ovate, a little shorter than the spikelet; anthers 3, 0.1–0.4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain spherical, 0.3–0.6 mm. in diameter.
Habitat
Roadsides and waste places in deciduous bushland; sea-level to 1800 m.
Distribution
K7 T3 T4 T5 T7 T8 U1 Senegal to Ethiopia, and southwards to Rhodesia
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 10-60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1-6 cm long; 2-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 5-14 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; bearing 6-30 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 0.9-1.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 0.9-1.6 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 lanceolate; 0.4-0.6 mm long; 0.4-0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.9-1.6 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or spinose. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 0.8-1.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or hispidulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.1-0.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; 0.3-0.6 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual, up to 60 cm. high.
[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely caespitose annual; culms up to 60 cm tall, erect, often branched below; leaf sheaths chartaceous, glabrous on the back, ciliate on the margins, terete; leaf laminas 1–6 cm × 2–6 mm, flat, hispidulous above, glabrous beneath, pectinate-ciliate on the margins with tubercle-based hairs, acute at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 4.5–16 cm long, narrowly elliptic; branches in a succession of whorls, smooth, with elongated viscid glandular patches, the spikelets 6–30 per branch, evenly distributed in the distal part.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 0.8–1.4 mm long, reddish-brown; inferior glume 2/5–3/5 the length of the spikelet, lanceolate, nerveless, glabrous, acute to acuminate at the apex; superior glume as long as the spikelet, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 1-nerved, smooth or hispidulous, acute at the apex; lemma a little shorter than the spikelet, ovate; anthers 3, 0.2–0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain rotund or subrotund, 0.4–0.7 mm across, slightly laterally compressed.
[FZ]

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 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 2026. 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 2026. 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