Panicum brevifolium

HABIT Annual. Culms rambling; 15–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades ovate; 5–10 cm long; 10–25(–38) mm wide; membranous. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–16 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous, or tangled.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; all alike, or heteromorphic (peripheral spikelets villous).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acute; 1.5(–1.8) mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; (1–)3 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous, or pilose. 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; 1 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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