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 campestre

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–74 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 3–10 cm long; distally glabrous, or hirsute. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths 3–7 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 7–25 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; densely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Axillary inflorescences intermingled with terminal.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 5–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; branching divaricately. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches stiff; scabrous; pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.6–2.8 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; falling entire. Floret callus evident; 0.2–0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.8–2.2 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–9 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.2–1.3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Zuloaga 1995.

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