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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 ledermannii

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20–35 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above; pubescent above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 15–25 cm long; 0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis scaberulous; pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 5–10 mm long; base obtuse. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; 15–26 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 10–20 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4.5–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblate; 1 mm long; 0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3 mm long; 0.6 length of spikelet; membranous; 1–3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5–5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 3 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles connate below.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1993.

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