Paspalum nutans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 25–90 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–16 cm long; 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1(–4); single; arcuate; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; 0.5–0.7 mm wide. Spikelet packing crowded; regular; 1 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse; 1.8–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of spikelet; chartaceous; mid-green; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; obovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma obovate; gibbous; 1.8–2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Maur.

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