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.

Paspalum quarinii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; scaly. Culms 100–200 cm long; 3–5 mm diam. Culm-internodes 15–30 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths 15–35 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.4–4 mm long; brown; truncate. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole (basal leaves); petiole 0.5–1 cm long. Leaf-blades 30–60 cm long; 10–18 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 50–70 cm long; glabrous.

Racemes few, or numerous; 25–35; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 5–12.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 14–28 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis narrowly winged; 0.4–0.6 mm wide; ciliate on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1.2 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; subacute; 1.6–2.4 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; pubescent; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 1.6–2.2 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; indurate; yellow; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.3 mm long. Anthers 3; 1–1.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Morr. & Zuloaga 2002.

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