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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 humile
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 5–20 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 6–12 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 5–10 cm long; glabrous, or pubescent above.
Panicle spiciform; oblong, or globose; 1–2 cm long; 0.5–0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps 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; base truncate; base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; few; 7–8 in principal whorl; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 5–7 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse, or subacute; 5–5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0–1 -veined; without midvein, or with evident midvein; without lateral veins; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; 5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute, or apiculate. Palea 1 length of lemma; membranous.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 3 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles connate below.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.
NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
