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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 distichum
HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Stolons present. Culms decumbent; 8–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 3–14 cm long; 3–7 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 2(–3); paired; unilateral; 2–8 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; turgidly plano-convex; acute; 3–4 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two (rarely); reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume when present ovate; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, 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, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern 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.
NOTES Paniceae. FZ.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
