Panicum silvestre

HABIT Annual. Culms rambling; slender; 15–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes pallid; glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades elliptic; 2–8.5 cm long; 4–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle 3.5–14.5 cm long; 2–18 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 10–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume inner surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; pallid, or light brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Paniceae. Fish 2011.

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