Panicum mueense

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; slender; 15–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; tapering towards sheath; 3–8 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; membranous. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 3–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.7–2.3 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0–1(–3) -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3(–5) -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. 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; 3(–5) -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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