Paspalum rocanum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 40–75 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–30 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or borne along a central axis; arcuate; unilateral; 2.5–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–6 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 1.2–1.5 mm wide; scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2.1–2.5 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; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface papillose. 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; concave across back; papillose; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Paniceae. Chase 1994.

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