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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Pennisetum nodiflorum

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–80 cm long; woody. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate, or involute; 2–15 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; loose; 2–10 cm long; 0.6–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs, or angular; scaberulous; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 4–10 mm long; base obtuse. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; 16–35 in principal whorl; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 4–10 mm long; terete; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1–2 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate, or oblate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles connate below.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA 1993.

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