Paspalum candidum

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent, or rambling; 50–100 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes hollow; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–2.8 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–10 cm long; 8–21 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 2–5 cm long.

Racemes 6–23; borne along a central axis; ascending, or drooping; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–11 cm long; unspecialized, or flattened; glabrous, or puberulous. Rhachis deciduous from axis; broadly winged; membranous; 2 mm wide; terminating in a barren extension; extension flattened. Spikelet packing abaxial; irregular; 1 -rowed, or 2 -rowed. Raceme-bases brief; pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 2.1–2.4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; obscurely veined. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 2–2.3 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.1–1.5 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Costaric 1993.

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