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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.
Panicum barbadense
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 15–40 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 0.5–3 cm long; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample; arising from mid culm and upper culm. Leaf-sheaths 1.2–3 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.2–0.4 mm long. Collar concolorous; pilose. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 1–3 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hispid; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 2–3 cm long; glabrous, or pubescent above.
Panicle open; ovate; 3–5 cm long; 1–2 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 0.5–0.8 cm long; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches pubescent in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels clavate; 2–5 mm long; ciliate; hairy at base.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 3–3.2 mm long; 1.2–1.4 mm wide; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–1.6 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3–3.2 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 3–3.2 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; glabrous, or pilose. Palea of lower sterile floret 2.4–2.6 mm long; 0.8 length of lemma; pilose; adorned on flanks. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.4 mm long; 1.2 mm wide; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate; pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.4 mm long; truncate. Anthers 3.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Paniceae. Salariato 2011.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
