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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 miliaceum
HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent, or hispid. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent, or bearded. Leaf-sheaths hispid. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1.5–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 6–15(–20) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent, or hispid.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; obovate; nodding; 5–10(–20) cm long. Panicle branches glabrous in axils; with insignificant pulvini.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 4.5–5 mm long; persistent on plant.
GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–11 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–11 -veined; acute, or acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; indurate; yellow, or dark brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west-central tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: northwestern and north-central. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA. South America: Caribbean, northern South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Paniceae. Gould.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
