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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 petiolare

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 45–120 cm long; compressible; with prop roots. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate; with a false petiole; petiole 2–12 cm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 8–25 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 1.5–3 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis scaberulous; glabrous.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; acute; 2–3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.1–0.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 0.05–0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.1–0.5 mm long; 0.05–0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; smooth, or scaberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–3 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1993.

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