Poaceae
Panicum

Panicum chambeshii Renvoize

First published in Kew Bull. 34: 553 (1979 publ. 1980)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to Zambia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 45-90 cm long. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar, or narrower than blade at the collar. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 7-20 cm long; 3-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 7-14 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 oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse, or acute; 3-4.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse, or acute; 3-4.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -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 male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 3-4.5 mm long; indurate; purple; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above (tip). Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
Africa: east tropical and southern tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial, the basal leaf-sheaths persistent and becoming fibrous; culms erect, 45–90 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades linear, 7–20 cm. long, 3–5 mm. wide, straight or tapering at the base, glabrous or pilose, acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle ovate, 7–14 cm. long, sparsely branched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets oblong, 3–4.5 mm. long, blunt or acute; lower glume narrowly ovate, 1/3 the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved; upper glume ovate, 9-nerved, acute; lower lemma ovate, 9-nerved, male, its palea well developed; upper lemma shiny, purple and minutely scaberulous at the extreme tip.
Habitat
Marshy ground; 1230–1800 m.
Distribution
T7
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial; culms erect, 45–90 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 7–20 cm. long, 3–5 mm. wide, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 7–14 cm. long, ovate, sparsely branched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–4.5 mm. long, oblong, blunt or acute; inferior glume narrowly ovate, 1/3 the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved; superior glume ovate, 9-nerved, acute; inferior lemma ovate, 9-nerved, enclosing a male flower, its palea well developed; superior lemma shiny and minutely scaberulous at the apex.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0