Sporobolus sanguineus Rendle

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Photo: Petra Ballings
Castleburn Cliffs, Vumba.

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Synonyms:	Sporobolus rhodesiensis Stent & J.M. Rattray
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Tufted perennial grass, rarely with a short rhizome with unbranched erect culms, up to 1.2 m high; basal leaf sheaths chartaceous, not expanded, glabrous or shortly pilose near the margins above, rarely pilose throughout, terete, persistent; leaf laminas 10–40(55) cm × 1.5–6 mm, flat, folded or involute, glabrous or thinly pilose above, smooth or tuberculate-pectinate on the margins, attenuate to a slender filiform apex. Inflorescence a panicle, 14–35 cm long, linear to narrowly lanceolate; branches whorled, of more or less equal length, except the lowermost being longer and more widely spread, smooth or scaberulous, inconspicuously glandular, the spikelets either in pairs on appressed branchlets or singly and appressed to the primary branches. Spikelets 2.5 - 3.5 mm long, reddish; inferior glume 1/3–1/2 the length of the spikelet, rarely almost suppressed (and about 1/10 as long), lanceolate, nerveless, glabrous, obtuse at the apex; superior glume as long as the spikelet, lanceolate-elliptic, 1-nerved, smooth or hispidulous, acute to acuminate at the apex; lemma as long as the spikelet or almost so, lanceolate-elliptic; anthers 3, (1.2)1.4–2 mm long.Grain (1.3)1.5–1.9 mm long, elliptic to narrowly ovate, scarcely to strongly laterally compressed.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	sanguineus: blood-red
Habitat:	In miombo woodlands on sandy soils, often on mountain slopes and rocky outcrops, and in woodland on evergreen forest margins
Altitude range:	600 - 1830 m
Flowering time:	Nov - May
Worldwide distribution:	Throughout tropical Africa.
Malawi distribution:	N,C,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 365. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 52. Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Pages 174 - 175. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 61. As Sporobolus rhodesiensis Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 110.

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Flora of Burundi: Sporobolus sanguineus
Flora of Mozambique: Sporobolus sanguineus
Flora of Zambia: Sporobolus sanguineus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Sporobolus sanguineus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Sporobolus sanguineus
African Plant Database: Sporobolus sanguineus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Sporobolus sanguineus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sporobolus sanguineus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sporobolus sanguineus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Sporobolus sanguineus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sporobolus sanguineus
JSTOR Plant Science: Sporobolus sanguineus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Sporobolus sanguineus
Plants of the World Online: Sporobolus sanguineus
Tropicos: Sporobolus sanguineus
Wikipedia: Sporobolus sanguineus