Pennisetum latifolium
Plants perennial; cespitose. Culms 1.5-3 m, erect; nodes pubescent. Sheaths pubescent or scabrous, margins ciliate; ligules 1.3-2 mm; blades 30-75 cm long, 19-45 mm wide, flat, glabrous, pseudopetiolate. Panicles terminal on the culms and axillary in the upper leaf-sheaths, 2.2-9.5 cm long, 10-15 mm wide, fully exerted from the sheaths, flexible, drooping, green to stramineous; rachises terete, scabrous or sparsely pubescent. Fascicles 5-13 per cm; fascicle axes about 0.3 mm, with 1 (2) spikelet (s); outer bristles 8-33, 1.1-11 mm, brittle; inner bristles absent; primary bristles (11.5) 15.7-26.5 mm, scabrous, noticeably longer than the other bristles. Spikelets 4-7 mm, sessile; lower glumes 1.2-2.2 mm, 1 (2) -veined, scabridulous and ciliolate distally; upper glumes 1.8-3.3 mm, 3-veined, margins ciliolate; lower florets sterile; lower lemmas 4.8-6.8 mm, 5-8-veined; lower paleas absent; upper lemmas 4.6-5.5 mm, 5-veined; upper paleas 2-3-veined; anthers 1.2-1.5 mm. Caryopses 2.5-2.8 mm long. 2n = 36.
Distribution
La., Okla., Calif.
Discussion
Pennisetum latifolium is native to South America. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental in the Flora region.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"decumbent" is not a number.