Pennisetum villosum

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15–90 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 7–15 cm long; 2–6 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong, or ovate, or globose; 2–12 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis angular; smooth; pilose; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1(–4) in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; cuneate; 40–70 mm long; base bluntly stipitate (1mm). Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 40–70 mm long; terete; flexible; plumose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 9–14 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.05–0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 3.5–6 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–11 -veined; scaberulous; rough on veins; acute, or acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–14 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long; anther tip apiculate. Styles 4 mm long; connate below; 1 of their length connate.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, northeast tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. North America: northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: Caribbean, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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