Poaceae
Paspalum

Paspalum pauciciliatum (Parodi) Herter

First published in Revista Sudamer. Bot. 6: 139 (1940)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Brazil to N. Argentina. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending; 50-100 cm long; 4-5 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 1.5-7 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-4 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades 8-30 cm long; 7-9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-10; borne along a central axis; straight; unilateral; 4-9 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.8-1.2 mm wide; drab; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2.8-3.5 mm long; 1.5-1.8 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2.8-3.5 mm long; 1.5-1.8 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2-2.5 mm long; 1.5 mm wide; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
South America: Brazil and southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl Entre Rios 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0