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Info
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Panicum = "belonging to bread" [Latin] refering to use by several species as cereal grains
Species etymology: nephelophilum = "cloud loving" [Greek] refering its habit of growing on mountains often imersed in clouds
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: endemic
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Spikelets
Collar
Description
Cespitose perennials 45-240 cm tall: culms unbranched, glabrous or appressed pubescent to papillose-pilose, the nodes glabrous or villous. Leaves cauline; sheaths densely puberulent to papillose-pilose with hairs up to 11 mm long; ligule a ciliate membrane, 1.1-4.9 mm long, the membrane 0.3-1.5 mm long, the cilia 1-3.5 mm long; blades 10-40 cm long, (0.8-)1.1-2.5 cm wide, flat, glabrous or sparsely papillose-pilose to velvety short-pubescent. Panicles 15-60 cm long, terminal, the lower branches usually whorled, scabrid, widely spreading at maturity, the axils usually pubescent; spikelets 1.8-3.4 mm long, acuminate, glabrous; glumes as long as spikelet, equal or second glume slightly shorter than first one, first glume 5-7- nerved, acuminate to acute, second glume 7-nerved, acute; first floret sterile, first lemma as long as or slightly shorter than glumes, 7-9-nerved, first palea 1/3-1/4 as long as lemma; second floret 1.5-2 mm long, 0.6-0.8 mm wide, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, glossy, smooth; anthers 0.9-1.5 mm long, purple.
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )