Panicum acicularifolium

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths purple; pilose, or villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 55–95 cm long; wiry. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths viscid; without keel; pilose, or hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 10–20 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially and abaxially; scabrous; glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong; 2–4.5 cm long; 0.7–1 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2–3 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green, or purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Renvoize 1996.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.