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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 pumilum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 10–15 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; 3–9 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 6–9 cm long.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 1.8–3.5 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; 6–12 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse, or subacute; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure, or one the lower absent or obscure, or two; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.1–0.5 mm long; 0.05 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblate; 0.1–0.5 mm long; 0.05 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; scaberulous; entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long; anther tip smooth.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1993.

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