Paspalum laxum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; slender; 30–110 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 15–50 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–14; borne along a central axis; arcuate; unilateral; 3–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; pubescent on surface; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse; 1.7–2 mm long; 1 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; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. 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; 3–5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.6–1.7 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 1994.

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