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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: pellitum = "covered with skins" [Latin] refering to the spiklets being hairy
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: endemic
Map
Plant
Description
Cespitose annuals 4-65 cm tall; culms branched or unbranched, pilose, the nodes pilose. Leaves cauline; sheaths papillosepilose; ligule 0.1-0.5(-0.9) mm long, a line of cilia borne on a rudimentary membranous rim up to 0.1 mm long, or often nearly entirely absent, especially in the uppermost leaf of a culm; blades 2-17 cm long, 0.2-0.5 cm wide, flat, ciliate, papillose-pilose. Panicles 2-18 cm long, axis pilose, branches spreading, in depauperate specimens sometimes appressed, pilose; spikelets 1.5-2.1 mm long, acute, pubescent; glumes subequal, acute, first glume usually somewhat shorter than second glume, 5-nerved, pubescent with hairs 0.4-1.5 mm long, second glume as long as spikelet, 7-nerved, pubescent in upper 1/2; first floret sterile, first lemma as long as second glume or slightly shorter, 7-nerved, glabrous, first palea 1/4-1/3 as long as first lemma; second floret brown at maturity, 1.1-1.3 mm long, 0.6-0.7 mm wide, elliptic, glossy, smooth; anthers 0.5- 0.7 mm long.
(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 )