Common name: Guinea Grass
Panicum maximum var. maximum Jacq. APNI* Description: Densely tufted perennial to 3 m high with a short stout rhizome covered with the hairy remainders of cataphylls.
Leaves with sheath with tubercle-based hairs to glabrous, often densely bearded at the orifice; ligule membranous, 1.5–6 mm long; blade 5–18 mm wide, glabrous, softly hairy, or coarsely hirsute with tubercle-based hairs.
Panicle at length much exserted, 15–50 cm long, pedicels mostly 1–6 mm long. Spikelets subobtuse to acute, 2.5–4 mm long, glabrous or pubescent. Lower glume obtuse c. 20–35% the length of the spikelet, 1–3-nerved; upper the size and shape of the spikelet, 5-nerved. Lower lemma male, similar to the upper glume, 5–7-nerved; palea slightly shorter. Upper lemma oblong to elliptic, 2.2–3 mm long, finely transversely rugulose.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Planted as a pasture species, also on roadsides and disturbed sites. Native of Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *NT, *NWS, *CWS
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|