Panicum anceps

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pilose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 30–100 cm long. Culm-nodes pallid, or purple. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.4 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent, or hispid.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; ovate; 15–40 cm long; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches 4–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; tilted on the pedicel; dorsally compressed; 2.8–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

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

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Paniceae. Gould.

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