Panicum muscicola

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 50–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes striate; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; puberulous; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–10 cm long; 15–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 8–10 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 18–20 cm long; 13–14 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1 -nate. Panicle branches straight.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels straight; 8–10 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

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 ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. 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.