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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 hohenackeri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 60–150(–200) cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–40 cm long; 1–5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; with rectangular ribs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above; glabrous, or pubescent above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 10–25 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. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 7–20 mm long; base bluntly stipitate (0.3–0.5mm). Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 6–30 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6.5–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate, or oblate; 0.1–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume apex emarginate, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–11 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.5–11 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long; anther tip smooth, or penicillate. Styles connate below.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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