Melinis repens (Willdenow, 1797) Zizka, 1988

Crespo, Manuel B., Alonso, Ángeles & Martínez-Azorín, Mario, 2020, Melinis maroccana (Melinidinae, Paniceae, Poaceae), a new combination for the Moroccan flora, and comments on related taxa, Phytotaxa 433 (1), pp. 77-80 : 79-80

Identification key to the Melinis repens aggregate

1. Spikelets (5−) 7−12 mm long. Internode between glumes (0.5−)0.7−1.7(−2) mm long; upper glume and lemma of the lower floret with a long apical beak up to 5.5 mm, the upper glume with prominent ribs and an apical awn 7−14.5 mm long.... M. grandiflora

− Spikelets 2−5 mm long. Internode between glumes 0.1−0.8 mm long; upper glume and lemma of the lower floret with a short apical beak up to 2.5 mm long or beakless, the upper glume submuticous or with an apical awn up to 7 mm long.........................2

2. Hairs of the leaf ligule 0.5−0.8 mm long. Panicle mostly cylindrical, dense, contracted. Internode between glumes (0.5−) 0.6−0.8 mm long; upper glume and lemma of the lower floret cartilaginous to subcoriaceous, with prominent ribs; the upper glume submuticous or with a short apical awn up to 0.1 mm long......................................................................................... M. maroccana

− Hairs of the leaf ligule 0.8−1.6 mm long. Panicle mostly ovoid, loose, spreading. Internode between glumes 0.1−0.5(−0.6) mm long; upper glume and lemma of the lower floret membranous to slightly cartilaginous, with inconspicuous to slightly prominent ribs; the upper glume with a short apical awn 0.7−7 mm long ..........................................................................................................3

3. Stems usually lower, 25−120(−150) cm tall. Spikelets often dark brownish to pale-yellowish, with subpatent, dense and long hairs (exceeding ca 5 mm the spikelet apex); beak of the upper glume up to 1.7 mm long or absent.................. M. repens subsp. repens

− Stems usually robust, (60−) 100−160 cm tall. Spikelet often dark olive-green (sometimes pale-yellowish), with appressed, short and suberect hairs (not exceeding the spikelet apex) or occasionally subglabrous; beak of the upper glume up to 2.5 mm long or absent........................................................................................................................................................ M. repens subsp. nigricans