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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 microstachyum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15–85 cm long; 1–2.5 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes hollow; mid-green, or purple; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; brown. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–23 cm long; 6–23 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially, or on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 15–30; borne along a central axis; spreading, or drooping; unilateral; 5–30 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–15 cm long; with scattered hairs. Rhachis narrowly winged; 0.6–0.8 mm wide; with scattered hairs. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed. Raceme-bases brief; pilose.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.4–1.6 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3(–5) -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; membranous; 3 -veined; puberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or obovate; 1.4 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.4 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Costaric 1993.

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