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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Pennisetum distachyum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 200–300 cm long; 3–6 mm diam.; swollen at the base. Culm-internodes hollow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1.5–3.5 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 17–45 cm long; 13–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute; hairy on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath.
Panicle spiciform; linear; flexuous; 3–10 cm long; 0.7–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis scabrous; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.
Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 3–5 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; in one whorl; 30 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 15–20 mm long; terete; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 4.8–6.2 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.2 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.8–2.5 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.8–5.4 mm long; 0.9–1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.8–5.4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins flat. Palea 1 length of lemma; membranous.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.3–1.8 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.
NOTES Paniceae. Fl Mesoamer. 2011.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
