Panicum novemnerve* Stapf. Fl.
Trop. Afr. 9: 702 (1920).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: ST: Allen 692, "Mozambique Distr.
Rhodesia: Mashonaland; Salisbury, ..." ST: Mrs. Craster 27,
"Mozambique Distr. Rhodesia: Mashonaland; Salisbury, ..." ST: Mundy,
"N. Mazoe District, ..." ST: Appleton 6, "Buluwayo and
Matoppo Hills".
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Habit. Annual.
Rhizomes absent. Stolons present. Culms decumbent, 30–120 cm tall, 5–8 -noded.
Mid-culm internodes hirsute. Lateral branches sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths
hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a fringed membrane or a fringe of
hairs, a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear or lanceolate, 3–20 cm long, 4–15
mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, 10–27 cm long, evenly
furnished.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, the lower floret barren
(rarely male), the upper fertile, comprising 1 basal sterile florets,
comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, ovate, dorsally
compressed, 2–2.5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 5 -nerved. Lower glume apex muticous. Upper glume elliptic or ovate,
2–2.5 mm long, membranous, without keels, 7–11 -nerved. Florets. Basal
sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile
floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 7–9 -nerved, mucronate.
Fertile lemma 1.6–2.2
mm long, without keel. Lemma apex muticous.
Continental
Distribution: Africa and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland.
Queensland:
Burnett.
Notes.
Diagnostic features include spikelet length, the dark brown upper floret with
pronounced nerves on the 9–11-nerved upper glume.
Introduced. In
tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands. Rarely collected in SE Qld.
Flowers Feb.-May.
