Info
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Paspalum = "millet" [Greek] some species are used as cereals
Species etymology: minus = "less" [Latin] refering to smaller size compared to Paspalum notatum Flüggé
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 2022
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Habit
Spikelets
Description
Plants perennial; shortly rhizomatous. Culms 3–60 cm, erect; nodes glabrous. Sheaths glabrous or pubescent; ligules 0.2–0.7 mm; blades 8–18 cm long, 2–7.1 mm wide, flat, glabrous or pubescent. Panicles terminal, usually composed of a digitate pair of branches, a third branch sometimes present below the terminal pair; branches 1.8–6.4 cm, diverging to erect; branch axes 0.5–1.3 mm wide, narrowly winged, glabrous, margins scabrous, terminating in a spikelet. Spikelets 1.9–2.3 mm long, 1.2–2 mm wide, solitary, appressed to the branch axes, broadly elliptic to ovate to obovate, glabrous, stramineous, apices obtuse. Lower glumes absent; upper glumes 3-veined, lower lemmas faintly 3-veined; upper florets stramineous. Caryopses 1.8–2.2 mm, white. 2n = 20, 40, 50.
(Description source: Barkworth, M.E., Capels, K.M., Long, S. & Piep, M.B. (eds.) 2003. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, Part 2. Oxford University Press, New York. 783 pp http://floranorthamerica.org/Paspalum_minus )