Brachiaria deflexa (Schumach.) C.E.Hubb. ex Robyns

Global description

Brachiaria deflexa is an annual grass, with loose tufts, erect straw, geniculate base, and measuring 25 to 70 cm high. The light green leaves have slightly hairy sheath, linear leaf blade, measuring 5 to 20 cm long and 5 to 15 mm wide, plan, and rounded at the base. The ligule is ciliated. The inflorescence is a loose panicle base incorporated in the last leaf, comprising normally of 5 to 12 slender racemes. It can be loose, erect or spreading obliquely, inserted on the main stem ranging from 5-20 cm. Racemes occurring at the base are 5 to 12 cm long and sometimes contain short side racemes. The spikelets are broadly oval, acute at the top, pale green or pale yellow in color, and measure 2.7 to 3 mm long. They are in pairs at the base and solitary at the top of racemes. They are considerably far from each other on the axis of the raceme.

 
First leaves

The first leaf has a lanceolate elliptical lamina, about 1.5 cm long, with a more or less flattened sheath which is finely hairy including the limbus. The prefoliation is rolled from the second leaf, the blade rolls out.
 
General habit

This tufted grass occurs in loose clumps, with erect stem and geniculate base, branched at the nodes, and reaching more than 50 cm high.
 
Underground system

The roots are fibrous.
 
Culm

The grass culm is erect, more or less compressed, with a geniculate base, glabrous or finely pubescent and the nodes are pubescent or ciliate.
 
Leaf

The leaves are simple and alternate. The sheath is finely pubescent with the margin containing sparse long hairs. The ligule is ciliated and is represented by a line of short stiff hairs. The lamina is linear, 5 to 25 cm long and 4-22 mm wide, rounded at the base, acute at the top plan, finely pubescent on both sides giving it a velvety appearance. The margin is finely scabrous.
 
Inflorescence

The inflorescence is a loose and oval or oblong panicle, 8 to 15 cm long and 5 to 12 cm wide, with the base sometimes remaining incorporated in the last leaf. It usually consists of 5 to 12 slender and loose racemes which can be solitary or in pairs, arranged obliquely erect or spreading. Racemes of the base range from 4 to 12 cm and sometimes carry short side racemes. The axis of the inflorescence, racemes and also the pedicels of the spikelets are finely pubescent and are more or less abundant with long hairs.
 
Flower     
   
The spikelets are broadly oval, acute at the top, flattened ventrally, pale green or pale yellow in color, measuring 2.7 to 3 mm long. They occur in pairs at the base and solitary at the top of the racemes, unequally pedicelate : one short pedicel of about 1 mm and the other longer pedicel 2 to 12 mm. Spikelets and the pairs of spikelets are considerably distant from each other on the axis of the racemes. The lower glume is approximately half the length of the spikelet, clasping and has 5 ribs. The upper glume is similar in size and shape to the spikelet, and has 7 ribs. The lower flower is male or barren, with a similar lemma to that of the upper glume but with 5 ribs. The upper flower is fertile, slightly shorter than the spikelet, lemma in yellow crustaceous, transversely wrinkled.

Worldwide distribution

Brachiaria deflexa is present in all tropical Africa, in Arabia, India, Pakistan and in the islands of the Indian Ocean (Comoros, Mayotte, Madagascar and the west coast of Reunion Island).

https://www.gbif.org/species/2704073