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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 unisetum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 60–400 cm long; 2–15 mm diam. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Collar glabrous, or bearded. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole, or with a false petiole. Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; 20–60 cm long; (5–)10–30 mm wide; flaccid.

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

Panicle spiciform; linear; 2–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis puberulous.

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; (2.5–)7–40 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.

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

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.2–0.5(–0.8) mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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