Panicum nervosum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 40–200 cm long. Culm-internodes solid; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; hispid; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1.5–2 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 11–18 cm long; 8–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 10–20 cm long.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches smooth, or scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; globose; dorsally compressed; 1.1–1.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–1.4 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface wrinkled. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 0.9–1.4 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean, northern South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Guiana 1995.

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