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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Panicum aciculare
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths villous. Culms 30–75 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous to pilose. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches sparse, or fastigiate. Leaves basal and cauline; heterophyllous with a basal winter rosette. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs, or absent; 0–1 mm long. Leaf-blades ascending; lanceolate; tapering towards tip; 6–15 cm long; 2–6 mm wide; 5–7 mm wide in winter rosette. Leaf-blade surface glabrous to pilose. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; 4–10 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; with acute base; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; obtuse; 2–2.3 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2–2.8 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, and northern South America.
NOTES Paniceae. Gr Texas 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
