Paspalum decumbens Sw.

Paspalum pedunculatum Poir. in Lam. Encyc
Suppl. 4 : 315. 1816.
Paspalum decumbens Sw. Prodr. 22. 1788. Not P. decumbens Rottb. 1778. ? Paspalum nutans Lam. Tab. Encyc. 1 : 175. 1791. Panicum decumbens R. & S. Syst. Veg;, 2 : 429. 1817. Paspalum curvislachyum Raddi, Agrost. Bras. 26. 1823. Paspalum. vaginiflorum. Steud. Syn. Gram. 19. 1854.
Stems up to 3 dm. tall or longer, branched and rooted at the lower nodes, with one or more leafless pubescent flower-bearing branches from the upper axil; leaf-sheaths ciliate, otherwise glabrous or pubescent; blades up to 7 cm. long, rarely longer, up to 12 mm. wide, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, flat, ciliate, the surface usually pubescent, rarely glabrous; racemes straight or ciuved, single, 1.5-4 cm. long, the rachis flat, about 0.5 mm. wide, usually pubescent, at least below, rarely glabrous ; spikelets in pairs, glabrous, 1.3-1.5 mm. long, 1-1.2 mm. wide, broadly obovate or oval, obtuse, often apiculate, the first scale orbicular, obtuse or acute,
T
rarely exceeding one third of the spikelet, the second scale about half as long as the spikelet, orbicular, rounded at the apex, 3-nerved, the third scale as long as the spikelet, 3-nerved, or sometimes with an obscure additional lateral nerve, the fruiting scale about as long as the third scale or a little shorter, yellowishgreen, broadly oval, obtuse, strongly roughened with longitudinal rows of papillae.
Type locality : Dutch Guiana.
Distribution : Jamaica and Cuba to Porto Rico, and from Guatemala to Panama ; also in tropical South America.