Poaceae
Panicum

Panicum sparsicomum Nees ex Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 83 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is India, Sri Lanka. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Culms rambling; 50-150 cm long (long); rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths without keel; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.2-0.4 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2.5-9 cm long; 5-11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous to hirsute. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous; ciliate; hairy at base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 5-17 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches smooth, or scabrous; pubescent in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; gibbous; acute; 1.5-1.9 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; gibbous; acute; 1.5-1.9 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.7-0.9 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2-1.5 mm long; 0.66-0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. 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; 5 -veined; prominently veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.3-1.6 mm long; indurate; yellow, or light green; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface punctate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.7-0.9 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.9 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl Ceyl 1993.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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