Paspalum corcovadense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms slender; 50–100 cm long. Culm-nodes black. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–22 cm long; 10–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 10–25 cm long.

Racemes 3; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 7–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–6 cm long. Rhachis 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Spikelet packing lax; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1.5–2.2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; subacute; 2.1–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 1.7–2 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume hairs tawny.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous (shiny); 3 -veined; scaberulous; eciliate on margins, or ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.1–2.3 mm long; indurate; yellow; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Guiana 1995.

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