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 arbusculum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long; woody. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–10 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 4–15 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; subacute; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; yellow, or light brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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