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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Paspalum longum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 80–100 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; without keel; smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; pilose on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades ascending; 70–100 cm long; 8–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; shorter than basal leaves; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 9–13; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 8–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 12–18 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 1 mm wide; puberulous on surface; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic to ovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse, or subacute; 2.8–2.9 mm long; 2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface papillose. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 3 -veined; papillose; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic, or obovate; 2.5 mm long; 1.6 mm wide; indurate; yellow; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 2001.

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