Panicum mananarense

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 1.5 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths loose; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 20–25 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 5–20 cm long.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 10–16 cm long; 2.5–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches distant; 4–5 -nate; whorled at lower nodes; simple, or sparsely divided. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels flexuous; unequal; 1.5–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–2.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.7 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface tuberculate. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Upper glume surface tuberculate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface punctate; rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Camus 2007.

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