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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 plenum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths spongy. Culms erect; robust; 90–250 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; keeled; reticulately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 2.5–3 cm long; 1.3–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins spinulose. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; 25–90; borne along a central axis; drooping; unilateral; 2–18 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 1.2–1.5 mm wide; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 5–8 mm long. Spikelet packing crowded. Raceme-bases brief; hirsute.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; subacute; 2.5–3 mm long; 1.3–1.5 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; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. 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; dark brown; 3 -veined; concave across back; glabrous, or puberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.4–2.5 mm long; indurate; yellow; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 1994.

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