Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka

Global description

Melinis repens is a loose tufted plant, spread at the base, with linear lanceolate leaves usually hairy. The ligule is ciliated. The inflorescence is a loose panicle with long silky spikelets, silvery white to pink. The spikelets are biflorous, the internal flower is male or sterile. The upper glume is very reduced. The upper glume and the lower lemma are convex at the bottom and end in wide spout surmounted by an edge. The upper palea is bi-keeled and finely ciliated. The lemma and palea of ​​external fertile flower are smooth and shiny, enveloping the grain.       
 
First leaves
 
The prefoliation of first leaves is rolled. The lamina is linear lanceolate, 3 to 8 cm long and 6 to 9 mm wide. It is obliquely erect. The ligule is ciliated. The sheath is generally hairy but some forms are glabrous. The midrib forms a slightly marked groove. Young leaves are often tinged with purple at the base.
 
General habit
 
The plant is loose tuft. The base of the branches is often spread on the ground, while the flowering ends are erect. The plant has a strong tillering. It measures 30 to 100 cm in height.
 
Underground system
 
The roots are fibrous. Stilt roots develop from the basal nodes.
 
Culm
 
The culm is cylindrical and hairy to glabrous. It is robust at the base, 2 to 4 mm wide, greenish in colour, often tinted withpurple. The nodes are hairy and light color.
 
Leaf
 
The leaves are alternate. The sheath is glabrous to hairy. It is cylindrical and has a slightly marked round keel. It is often tinged with purple. The ligule is ciliated, 1 mm high. The lamina is linear to lanceolate, with a tapered acute apex. It is obliquely erect and flat or convoluted. Midrib forms a very pronounced groove, light in color. The lamina is 5 to 30 cm long and  2 to 10 mm wide. The margin and the upper face are finely scabrous. Both sides of the leaf blade is more or less hairy.
 
Inflorescence
 
The inflorescence is a loose panicle, ovoid and abundantly branched from the base. It measures 5 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 cm wide. The ramifications are filiform, flexuous and finely pubescent. They terminate in a small cup, with stiff hairs and on which the spikelet is inserted.
 
Spikelet

The spikelets are solitary at the end of the branches. They are covered with long, straight hairs, silvery white to pink. The spikelets are ovoid, 2.5 to 5 mm long and 2 to 3 mm wide. They include two flowers; the internal is male or barren, the external fertile. The lower glume is generally very small, 0.2 to 3 mm long, lanceolate and covered with long bristles. The upper glume is separated from the lower glume by a  rachilla of 0.2 to 1.5 mm long; it is 2 to 4 mm long. It is oval, very convex in its lower half and ends in beak wide and emarginate at the top. It has five longitudinal ribs. It is surmounted by a long ridge, 1 to 7 mm. The lower part is covered with silky hair, 2 mm, while in the upper part, the bristles are up to 5 mm long. The lemma of the internal flower is similar to the lower glume but slightly narrower. The lower palea is papery, translucent, bi-keeled and finely ciliated along the keel. It is 1.5 to 3 mm long. The lemma of the external flower is 1.5 to 2.2 mm long, lanceolate. It is smooth and shiny, pearly white in color. The edges partially overlap the palea similar and enclose the grain.
 
Grain
 
The grain is fusiform, 1.5 to 2 mm long and is included in the palea and the lemma

Origin

Melinis repens is native to all of tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula.

Worldwide distribution

This species has been widely introduced and is now widespread throughout the tropical regions of America, Africa and Asia.

https://www.gbif.org/fr/species/2702504