Paspalum plicatulum Michx.

brown seed paspalum, Rodd's Bay


Info

Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Paspalum = "millet" [Greek] some species are used as cereals
Species etymology: plicatulum = "folded lengthwise" [Latin] likely refering to the lemma
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - intentional
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 2000

Map

 Distribution of Paspalum plicatulum in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Paspalum plicatulum Inflorescence
Paspalum plicatulum Inflorescence
Paspalum plicatulum Inflorescence
Paspalum plicatulum Inflorescence

Habit

Paspalum plicatulum Habit
Paspalum plicatulum Habit
Paspalum plicatulum Habit

Spikelets

Paspalum plicatulum Spikelets
Paspalum plicatulum Spikelets
Paspalum plicatulum Spikelets
Paspalum plicatulum Spikelets
Paspalum plicatulum Spikelets
Paspalum plicatulum Spikelets

Collar

Paspalum plicatulum Collar

Description

Plants perennial; shortly rhizomatous, often indistinctly so. Culms 30–110 cm, stout, erect; nodes glabrous. Sheaths glabrous; ligules 2–3 mm; blades to 35 cm long, 2–5.4 mm wide, conduplicate (rarely flat). Panicles terminal, with 2–7 racemosely arranged branches; branches 1.6–7.1 cm, usually divergent, rarely merely ascending; branch axes 0.6–1.1 mm wide, glabrous, terminating in a spikelet. Spikelets 2.5–3 mm long, 1.5–2.2 mm wide, paired, appressed to the branch axes, elliptic-ovate, light to dark brown. Lower glumes absent; upper glumes usually with short, appressed pubescence, rarely glabrous, 5-veined, margins entire; lower lemmas with short, appressed pubescence or glabrous, 3- veined, margins entire; upper florets dark glossy brown. Caryopses 1.4–1.6 mm, brown. 2n = 20, 40, 60.
(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_plicatulum )