Panicum glanduliferum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Glands capitate. Culms decumbent, or rambling; weak; 100–200 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes glandular; distally pilose; with capitate hairs. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glandular; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs and capitate hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades spreading, or reflexed; conduplicate, or involute; 1–10 cm long; 1–7 mm wide; eglandular, or glandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with capitate hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 4–10 cm long; 2–6 cm wide; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches 4–5 cm long. Panicle branches glandular; pilose; with simple hairs and capitate hairs.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile, or sessile and pedicelled. Pedicels 2–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–9 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.3 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins convolute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Madag 1997.

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