Pennisetum crinitum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 150–270 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 10–20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 10–15(–23) cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs; puberulous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 4–7 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; few; in one whorl; 10–15 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 15–18 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.2–6 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; cartilaginous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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