|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Paspalum niquelandiae
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; knotty; scaly. Culms 120–150 cm long; 5–8 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; hispid; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 5–8 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.3 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 20–48 cm long; 8–22 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hispid; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins serrulate; glabrous, or ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 12–22 cm long; glabrous.
Racemes 8–30; borne along a central axis; arcuate; unilateral; 2.5–8.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 9–15 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis narrowly winged; 1–1.5 mm wide; ciliate on margins. Raceme-bases pilose; with 2–2.5 mm long hairs.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 0.1–0.3 mm long; scabrous; tip discoid.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.3–3.3 mm long; 1–1.2 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 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume margins villous. Upper glume hairs 0.3–0.7 mm long. 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; glabrous, or puberulous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.2–2.7 mm long; chartaceous; pallid; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose; with distinct germination flap; glabrous. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; chartaceous.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.1–0.2 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.2–2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.8–1.9 mm long; pallid. Embryo 0.4–0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Paniceae. Filg. 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
