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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 violaceum

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–300 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 15–100 cm long; 3–25 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 2.5–20 cm long; 0.8–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis terete; pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 4–8 mm long; base obtuse. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; inner bristles longer than outer; terete; flexible; plumose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure, or one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblate; 1–3.5 mm long; 0.25–0.5 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 male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1.5–6 mm long; 0.33–0.9 length of spikelet; chartaceous; (1–)3–5 -veined; eciliate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 5–6.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins flat; eciliate. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea coriaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.5 mm long; anther tip penicillate. Styles connate below.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate, or ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; 2–3 mm long; obtuse.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, and northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Brunken.

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