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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 sciurotis
HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 5–25 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; 2–8 cm long; distally hirsute. Culm-nodes black; pubescent. Lateral branches ample; arising from lower culm. Leaf-sheaths 1–5 cm long; hirsute; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.4 mm long. Collar pilose. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 1.5–9 cm long; 8–28 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins ciliate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Axillary inflorescences similar to terminal. Peduncle 5–7.5 cm long; pilose above.
Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 2–7 cm long; 1–5 cm wide. Panicle axis tuberculate; pilose. Panicle branches flexuous; with scattered hairs, or glabrous; pubescent in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth; glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; not clasping; 0.3–0.4 mm long; 0.2–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume surface pilose. 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; 5 -veined; obscurely veined; pilose; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.9 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.4–1.5 mm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean, western South America, and Brazil.
NOTES Paniceae. Zuloaga 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
