Poaceae
Sporobolus

Sporobolus ramigerus (F.Muell.) R.L.Barrett & P.M.Peterson

First published in Austral. Syst. Bot. 33: 474 (2020)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 100-300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes solid. Lateral branches ample. Branch complement one to many. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3-20 cm long; 2-5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 10-20 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 6-12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5-12 mm long; 0.9-1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating separately. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 6-12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5-12 mm long; 0.9-1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating separately. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5-0.75 length of upper glume; hyaline; 1-keeled; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume oblong; 2.5-4 mm long; 1.2-1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; 1-keeled; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 2-3 mm long; hyaline; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea readily splitting down midline. Palea keels smooth. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong, or obovoid; 1 mm long.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Fl W Austral 1994.
[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

  • 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