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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 flaccidum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 30–120 cm long. Lateral branches fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths without keel. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat; 5–40 cm long; 4–13 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–22 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2–3 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 12–22 mm long; base obtuse; base 0.3–0.7 mm long. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; 12–22 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.5–6.5 mm long; as long as fertile (and similar to it); deciduous with the fertile.

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 one the lower absent or obscure, or two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 0.33–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea chartaceous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; anther tip smooth.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Pak 1993.

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