dissimilar. Lower glume absent. Upper glume elliptic, as long as spikelet, membraneous, no keels, 3-7-nerved; surface glabrous, apex acute. Florets: basal
sterile florets barren, without significant palea; lemma similar to upper glume, membraneous, no keels, 3-, or 5-, or 7-nerved, acute. Fertile lemma ovate, 2.5 mm
long, indurate, no keel; margins involute, apex acute; palea involute, indurate. Anthers 3, 1 mm long. Stigmata purple. Caryopsis ovate, plano-convex, 2 mm long.
Notes
Found in Europe, Africa, Arabia, China, Eastern Asia, India, Indo-China, Malesia, Australasia, Pasific, North and South America.
Distribution at Sulawesi
South: Makassar. Southeast: Kendari seashore, Alt. c. 2 m
Habitat
Sandy beach, opened area.
Specimen examined
PTU 63 BO; Widjaja 508 BO; Kjellberg 377 BO.
68. PENNISETUM Rich
. Type: Pennisetum typhoideum Rich., Syn. Pl. 1: 72. 1805. Catatherophora Steud. Flora 12: 465. 1829; Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India
Pakistan i-xviii, 1-767. 1960. Sericura Hassk. Flora 25: 2. 1842; Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India Pakistan i-
xviii, 1-767. 1960.
From the Latin penna “a feather”, and seta “a bristle”, referring to the feathery bristles of some species.
About 153 species around the world, from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, America. Plants annual, or perennial. Culms tufted, rhizomatous. Blades flat, folded,
or convolute. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Inflorescence a spike like panicle; branches numeruous, contracted into short clusters of one or more spikelets subtended by an
involucre of bristles, deciduous with the spikelets at maturity. Spikelets lanceolate, dorsally compressed, herbaceous, acute, or obtuse. Florets 2. Glumes and lower
lemma variable; glumes often small and not exceeding 0.5 length of spikelet; lower lemma staninate or neuter, equaling spikelet or reduced; upper lemma as long as
spikelet, herbaceous, or indurated, obtuse to acute.
Key to the Species 1.a. Ligule 4 mm long, a fringe of hairs ..................68.3. Pennisetum purpureum
b. Ligule less than 1 mm long, a ciliolate membrane ..........................................2 2.a. Inflorescence up to 10 cm long; lower glume 0.3 length of the spikelet; upper
lemma 4 mm long ………….....................................68.1. Pennisetum ciliare
b. Inflorescence up to 15-30 cm long; lower glume 0.4 length of the spikelet; upper
lemma 5-7 mm long …........................68.2. Pennisetum macrostachys
68.1.
Pennisetum ciliare L. Link. Hort. Berol. 1: 213. 1827.
Cenchrus ciliaris L. Mant. Pl. 2: 302. 1771; Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 771: 125-201. 1990.
Pennisetum cenchroides Rich. ex Pers. Syn. Pl. 1: 72. 1805.
Plants perenial, caespitose. Culms up to 50 cm long, thick 3 mm long, with lateral branched, stout, with swollen nodes, glabrous. Sheaths loose, open for most of
their length, 6 cm long, keeled. Ligule 0.5 mm long, a ciliolate membrane. Blades 10- 18 cm by 6-9 mm long, midrib prominent, surface smooth, or scabrous. Inflorescence
a panicle. Panicle spiciform, linear to oblong, 5-10 cm long. Spikelets subtended by an involucre; fertile spikelets sessile, 1-4 in the cluster; involucre composed of bristles,
base obconical, decidous with the fertile spikelets, numerous. Fertile spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1 fertile floret, without rachilla extension, lanceolate,
dorsally compressed, 5 mm long, falling entire. Glumes dissimilar, shorter than spikelet, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, 0.3 times length of spikelet,
hyaline, without keels, 1-nerved; lateral nerves absent, apex acute. Upper glume ovate, 0.5-1 length of spikelet, hyaline, without keels, 1-3-nerved, apex acute. Florets:
basal sterile florets male, or barren, without significant palea, lemma of lower sterile floret as long as fertile lemma, ovate, membraneous, 5-nerved. Fertile lemma 4 mm
long, ovate, dorsally compressed, lanceolate, chartaceous, no keel, 5-nerved; lemma margins covering most of palea, apex acute, mucronate. Palea ovate, as long as
lemma, chartaceous, 2-nerved, apex acute. Anthers 3.
Notes
Found in Europe, Africa, Western Asia, Arabia, India, Indo-China, Malesia, Australia, Pasific, North and South America.
Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Manado, Tondano, Alt. 700 m; Minahasa, Ranoketang, Amurang. Southeast: P. Buton, Kaboengta, Alt. 180 m.
Habitat
Sunny, infertile ground.
Specimen examined
Beguin 47 BO; Koorders 19799 β BO; Kjellberg 257 BO.
68.2. Pennisetum macrostachys Brongn. Trin. Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-
