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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.
Pennisetum durum
HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 30–60 cm long; 5–15 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Peduncle scaberulous above.
Panicle spiciform; linear; 3–10 cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; with scattered hairs; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.
Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 4–6 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; terete; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; concave across back; scaberulous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.
NOTES Paniceae. N Amer Fl 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
