Panicum paludosum

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–130 cm long; spongy; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; flat; 15–30 cm long; 6–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute, or acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 10–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes; 1–10 cm long.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–8 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 3.2–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 1 mm long; 0.1–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; acute, or acuminate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0–0.66 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.25 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long; red.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Pak 1993.

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