Paspalum pleostachyum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–100 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar pilose. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 12–55 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; puberulous; hairy adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Racemes 3–15; borne along a central axis; straight; unilateral; 7–14 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–11 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; subacute; 2.2–2.5 mm long; 1.2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2–3 -veined; without midvein, or with evident midvein; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.1 mm long; 1 mm wide; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA. South America: Caribbean and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 1994.

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