Paspalum altsonii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 35–70 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 6–25 cm long; 7–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Peduncle 3–7 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3–0.9 mm wide. Spikelet packing 2 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; heteromorphic (upper spikelet with smaller lower glume).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; 2–2.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 0.3–1 mm long; 0.15–0.33 length of upper glume. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; without grooves, or sulcate; glabrous, or puberulous; eciliate on margins, or ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.8 mm long; indurate; yellow; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Guiana 1995.

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