Poaceae
Panicum

Panicum trichonode Launert & Renvoize

First published in Prodr. Fl. Sudwestafr. 160(34): 226, 143 (1970)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Namibia to Zimbabwe. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 35-120 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent, or bearded. Leaves cauline. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 20-30 cm long; 3-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic, or oblong; 10-22 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; acute; 2.5-3 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5-3 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.1-0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 7-9 -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; herbaceous; 7-9 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2-2.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
Africa: southern tropical and south.
Reference
Paniceae. FZ.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose or shortly rhizomatous, glabrous or pilose perennial with erect or ascending culms 35–120 cm. high from a pubescent base; nodes conspicuously bearded or pubescent with white hairs.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 20–30 × 3–5 mm., linear, flat, sharply acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 10–22 cm. long, elliptic or oblong, moderately branched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2.5–3 mm. long, ovate-elliptic, glabrous, acute; inferior glume 1/8–1/4 the length of the spikelet, broadly-ovate, membranous, 0–1-nerved; superior glume herbaceous, 7–9-nerved; inferior lemma similar to the superior glume, male, its palea well developed; superior lemma and palea pallid, shiny.
[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: confident
[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

  • 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