Paspalum difforme

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms geniculately ascending; 35–75 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades ascending; 7–25 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially, or on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (1–)2–3(–4); paired, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3.5–8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 1 mm wide. Raceme-bases brief; hirsute.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; turgidly plano-convex; obtuse; 3.5–4 mm long; 3 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface wrinkled. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–3.5 mm long; 2.2–2.5 mm wide; indurate; pallid, or light brown; without keel. Lemma surface tuberculate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 1994.

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