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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 henryanum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.1 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins spinulose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 10–13 cm long; 2–3 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 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 18–25 mm long; base bluntly stipitate; base 0.5 mm long. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 18–25 mm long; terete; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 4 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Pacific: south-central.

NOTES Paniceae. Brown 1994.

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