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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 mildbraedii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths pilose. Culms erect; 45–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–40 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 6–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs; smooth; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 2–8 mm long; base obtuse. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 4–10 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 3.5–4.5 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; 0–0.5 mm long; 0–0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 0.1–0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or distinct. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; 1–3 -veined; smooth, or scaberulous; rough above; acute, or acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–4 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles free to the base, or connate below.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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