Pennisetum thulinii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; slender; 40 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheaths tight. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 2.5–3.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; few; 2 in principal whorl; 5–5.5 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblate; 0.4 mm long; 0.1–0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; acuminate; mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret terminal; 0.5–1 mm long. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; membranous. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex ciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Eth 1997.

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