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 pedicellatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pilose. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample; arising from mid culm and upper culm. Leaves all alike. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades ascending, or spreading; lanceolate; 5–9 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Peduncle 5–20 cm long.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent; pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–12 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5–3.7 mm long; 1.4 mm wide; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; not clasping; 0.4–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume surface pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.33 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3 mm long; 1.3 mm wide; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; scabrous. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 1994.

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