Paspalum monostachyum

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms 50–120 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 20–30 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–3; single, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 10–25 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched. Rhachis wingless.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; subacute; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one to two the lower present in some spikelets; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1 length of spikelet. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. 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; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–3.5 mm long; indurate; yellow, or light brown; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and southeast USA.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Texas 1994.

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