Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Panicum L.

Panicum arcurameum Stapf

This species is accepted, and its native range is Zimbabwe to S. Africa.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms decumbent; 15-40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally hirsute. Leaf-sheaths hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5-15 cm long; 5-12 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; ovate; 4-13 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 2-2.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 2-2.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; indurate; dark brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
Africa: southern tropical and south.
Reference
Paniceae. FZ.

[FZ]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Hispid annual with geniculately ascending, branching culms 15–40 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 5–15 cm. long and 5–15 mm. wide, linear or linear-lanceolate, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 4–13 cm. long, ovate, moderately to much branched, usually scarcely exserted from the uppermost leaf-sheath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2–2.5 mm. long, ovate, glabrous, apiculate; inferior glume 1/2 the length of the spikelet, broadly ovate, 5–7-nerved; superior glume as long as the spikelet, 9-nerved; inferior lemma similar to the superior glume, sterile, its palea poorly developed; superior lemma and palea dark, glossy.

Native to:

Botswana, Cape Provinces, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Zimbabwe

Panicum arcurameum Stapf appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Schlechter, F.R.R. [4614], South Africa K000255529 holotype Yes
Schlechter, F.R.R. [4614], South Africa K000255528 holotype Yes

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 704 (1920)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D. (1989). Flora Zambesiaca 10(3): 1-231. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Clayton, W.D. (1989). Flora Zambesiaca 10(3): 1-231. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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 Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0