Panicum verrucosum

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 50–120 cm long. Lateral branches sparse, or ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 4–10 mm wide; flaccid; light green. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 5–30 cm long; bearing few spikelets; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–3 cm long. Panicle branches stiff.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.7–2.1 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface tuberculate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; tuberculate; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface reticulate. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

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

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Texas 1994.

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