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 harleyi

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; hollow; 3–7 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes constricted; brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 2–7 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.7 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–13 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 11 cm long; glabrous.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 15 cm long; 7 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 11 in number; distant; 2.5–5.5 cm long; bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis with lower internodes 1–4.5 cm long; hispid. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or pubescent in axils.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels clavate; 1–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5–2.6 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.5–2.6 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface papillose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; papillose; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.3–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 mm wide; indurate; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.3 mm long. Anthers 3; 1.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1.1 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Salariato 2011.

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