Pennisetum qianningense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long; 2–4 mm diam. Culm-internodes channelled; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 10–40 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 10–17 cm long; 0.7–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis. Panicle axis pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 5–25 mm long. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 5–25 mm long; terete; flexible; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.15–0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 5 -veined. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea chartaceous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long; purple.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Paniceae. Zhong 2001.

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