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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 intectum

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Culms 150 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths keeled; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–35 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; hispid; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary.

Panicle spiciform; linear; flexuous; 4–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis. Panicle axis angular; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 8–10 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; 4–10 in principal whorl; with longest bristle scarcely emergent, or with one conspicuously longer bristle; 15–20 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; 7–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; concave across back; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Turpe 1994.

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