Paspalum sparsum

HABIT Perennial. Culms slender; 100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pilose. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 18–30 cm long; 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2.5–9.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 17 cm long; pilose. Rhachis wingless; angular; 0.8 mm wide. Raceme-bases brief; pilose.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; 1 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 pubescent. 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; membranous; 3 -veined; pubescent; obtuse. Fertile lemma obovate; 1.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Yucatan 1994.

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