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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 latifolium

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 150–300 cm long. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 30–75 cm long; 20–45 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis angular; pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 3–4 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; 8–12 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 8–10 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; 4–5 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; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3. Styles free to the base.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand. South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Turpe 1994.

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