Poaceae
Panicum

Panicum xerophilum (Hillebr.) Hitchc.

First published in Mem. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 8: 193 (1922)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Hawaiian Islands. It is an annual 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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms 5-80 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pilose. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths puberulous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.5-2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 3-18 cm long; 1-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 3-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches scabrous; with scattered hairs, or glabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 1.5-3.2(-3.7) mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 1.5-3.2(-3.7) mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -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; elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.25-0.33 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2-1.7 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.7-1.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Pacific: north-central.
Reference
Paniceae. Wagner 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