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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Paspalum tillettii
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pilose; with white hairs. Culms 23–62 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 4–17 cm long; 0.3–0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at base.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 8–22 cm long; glabrous.
Racemes 2; paired; flexuous; unilateral; 1.5–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 0.2–0.5 mm wide. Spikelet packing abaxial. Raceme-bases brief; hirsute; with 2–4 mm long hairs.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.2–0.5 mm long; glabrous, or pubescent.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; 1.4–1.8 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet. Lower glume surface pilose. Upper glume ovate; 0.9–1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; with capitate hairs. Upper glume margins ciliate (with capitate hairs). 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 obscure midvein; obscurely veined; glabrous, or pubescent; with capitate hairs; ciliate on margins (with capitate hairs). Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.4–1.8 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; indurate; dark brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 0.8–1 mm long. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.
NOTES Paniceae. Davidse & Zu 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
