Paspalum pictum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 25–60 cm long; 1 mm diam. Culm-internodes hollow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.2 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–20 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–3; single, or paired, or borne along a central axis; arcuate; unilateral; 3–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0.5–3 cm long. Rhachis wingless; flattened; 0.7 mm wide.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.6 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1–1.1 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green and purple; without keels; 0–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or distinct. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 4–5 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins (near margins). Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 1–1.1 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma surface tuberculate. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Costaric 1993.

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