Pennisetum latifolium Spreng.
Uruguay pennisetum
Tall, erect, tufted, bright green, shortly rhizomatous perennials, the stout (c. 2 cm diam.), short internodes of the rhizome giving a corm-like appearance to base of culm. Leaf-sheath loosely enveloping culm, rounded, subcoriaceous, with numerous usually conspicuous cross-veinlets, lowermost sheaths with a few scattered long hairs, others glabrous. Ligule 2-5.5 mm, a membranous densely long-ciliate rim. Leaf-blade 30-50 cm × 1-3.5 mm, flat, lanceolate, tapering to long fine point, narrowed, almost pseudopetiolate at base, ribs and margins minutely scabrid. Culm c. 2-2.5 m, nodes purplish, appressed-pubescent, internodes glabrous. Panicle 17-30 cm, compound, with clusters of 3-4 long-peduncled spikes arising in axils of 3-4 short, reduced leaves. Spikes 3-6.5 cm; rachis minutely pubescent; peduncles (5)-12-25 cm, triangular-compressed, with strongly pubescent-scabrid ridges. Spikelets 6-7 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, densely clustered and ± sessile on rachis, surrounded by involucre of numerous finely scabrid bristles, usually one stouter, » spikelet (10-17 mm), others usually < spikelet (5-7 mm). Glumes very short, hyaline, with long appressed hairs, margins long-ciliate near acute tip; lower 0.5-1 mm, upper 1-2 mm, 1-nerved. Lower floret Ø: lemma = spikelet, 5-nerved, submembranous, minutely pubescent-scabrid; palea 0. Upper floret ⚥: lemma ≈ spikelet, 5-6 mm, 5-nerved, very slightly hardened, glabrous below, finely minutely pubescent-scabrid near tip; palea 4.5-5 mm, of same texture as lemma, rounded, nerves 2, glabrous; lodicules 0.4-0.7 mm; anthers 1.4-2 mm; gynoecium: ovary c. 1 mm, styles free, glabrous, c. 1.5 mm, stigmas purple, plumose, c. 2.5 mm; caryopsis 1.7-2.3 mm.
N.: North Auckland (south of Kerikeri), Auckland City, scattered in South Auckland, one record from Wanganui. Garden escape; waste land, roadsides, pasture, damp places.
Naturalised from South America.
