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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Paspalum dilatatum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 40–180 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–45 cm long; 3–12 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes (2–)3–5(–11); borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–11 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–20 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 1.2 mm wide. Spikelet packing regular; 2–4 -rowed.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2.8–3.8 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; yellow; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. 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; 3 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
