Paspalum hyalinum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–20 cm long; 2–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex muticous, or pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–9; digitate; unilateral; 3–7 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3–0.6 mm wide; dark-coloured (purple); scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing abaxial; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5 mm long; glabrous, or ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; 1–1.4 mm long; 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; hyaline; without keels; 2 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; thicker on margins; 2 -veined; without midvein. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1–1.4 mm long; indurate; light brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Guiana 1995.

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