PANICE/E 



8 9 



Panicum ramosum, L 



This is an annual with steins erect or ascending from a creeping 

 base, rooting at the lower nodes, I to 2 feet long. The stem is 

 slender or stout, usually glabrous though occasionally glabrescent 

 or pubescent, channelled on one side, branched from base upwards, 

 and leafy. 



The leaf-sheath is finely striate, keeled, thinly pubescent with 

 the margins ciliate near the ligule. The ligule is only a fringe 

 of short hairs. Nodes are softly hairy. 



The leaf-blade is flat, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, softly pubes- 

 cent or glabrescent on both the surfaces, with rounded or subcordate 

 base and margins minutely serrate and ciliate, 2 to 6 inches long 

 Yb to V2 inch broad ; the midrib is distinct though slender with 

 four to six main veins on each side. 



The inflorescence is a pyramidal panicle 2 to 6 inches long, con- 

 sisting of usually five to ten (rarely also up to twenty) erect or 

 spreading spikes. Spikes are distant, alternate and in some the 

 lower ones are opposite, % to 2% inches long or shorter. The 

 rachis of the spike is thin, angular and scaberulous. 



The spikelets are usually pubescent, ovoid or obovoid, acute, 

 turgid, l /& inch, pale green and some occasionally purplish on one 



FlG. 96. — Panicum ramosum. 



I and 2. Back and front view of spike ; 3 and 4. front and back view of a spikelel • 

 5 and 6. first and second glumes ; J and 8. third glume and its palea ; 9 and ro. fourth 

 glume and its palea ; II. ovary, anthers and lodicules. 



side, alternate close or distant, in pairs lower down and then one 

 with a somewhat longer pedicel, solitary in the upper portions, 

 pedicels with hairs, some of them especially those near the apex 

 being longer. 



There are four glumes. The first glume is nearly half the length 

 of the third glume, broadly ovate, subacute, margin overlapping at 

 the base, and usually 5-nerved. The second glume is broadly ovate 

 acute, rather cuspidate, usually 5-nerved (rarely 7-nerved). The 

 third glume is similar to the second glume, 5-nerved, paleate, empty ; 

 palea is hyaline oblong, acute. The fourth glume is ovoid-oblong, 

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