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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Panicum ovale

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Glands annular. Culms 50–140 cm long; 0.7–3 mm diam. Culm-internodes 6–15 cm long; glandular (below nodes); distally hirsute. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches sparse. Leaves heterophyllous with a basal winter rosette. Leaf-sheaths viscid; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–15 cm long; 8–13 mm wide; 8–15 mm wide in winter rosette. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; 7–12 cm long; 5–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle axis glabrous, or pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate, or orbicular; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 1.8–2.2 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4–0.5 mm long; 0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; prominently veined; pubescent; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Man Gr US 1994.

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