Paspalum guaricense

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 55–75 cm long. Lateral branches ample; arising from lower culm. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; keeled; hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–20 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–7; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 1 mm wide; tuberculate on margins; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 4 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse; 1.8–1.9 mm long; 1.3–1.4 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume obovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; dark brown; 3 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma obovate; 1.8 mm long; indurate; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Swallen 1995.

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