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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Pennisetum beckeroides

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–35 cm long; 4–6 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 5–8 cm long; 0.6–0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs; scaberulous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 0.5–3 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; few; 3–5 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 3–3.5 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse to acute; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.3 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles free to the base.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1993.

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