Pennisetum pseudotriticoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 50–80 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–50 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; loose; 8–20 cm long; 0.5–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 10–11 mm long. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; in one whorl; 10–15 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 12–25 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.05 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.15–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–9 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Madag 1997.

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