Paspalum zuloagae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths purple. Culms 65–90 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 5–13 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–11 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–17 cm long; 6–12 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 12–27; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6.5–14 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis angular; 0.2 mm wide; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 0.3–1 mm long; smooth; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.66–1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; glabrous, or puberulous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Filg & Dav 1995.

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