Pennisetum occidentale

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; robust; 200–300 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20–60 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary.

Panicle spiciform; linear; flexuous; 8–12 cm long; 1–1.2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; stellately pubescent (surrounding scars); bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 8–10 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; 10–15 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 15–25 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; 4.5–4.8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. 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.