Dichanthium sericeum (R. Br.) A. Camus

1.1 Descripción de la especie

Culmos amacollados y erectos de 50 a 100 cm de alto; nudos de los culmos densamente barbados con pelos disperses de color plateado, entrenudos de 1 a 5 cm de largo. Vainas hojas glabras o casi glabras, a veces la vaina y las dos superficies de la lámina vellosas con pelos dispersos. Lígulas membranácea y rugosa de 1 a 2 mm de largo. Láminas de 5 a 25 cm de largo por 2 a 5 mm de ancho. Inflorescencia una panícula de ramérulos de 2 a 7 ramificaciones vellosas, densamente agrupadas y erectas en el ápice del culmo de 2.5 a 6 cm de largo; ramérulos con pubescencia sedosa; raquis y pedicelos angostos, densamente vellosos y ligeramente planos. Espiguillas sésiles de 2.5 a 3.5 mm de largo, espiguillas pediceladas casi tan grandes como las sésiles pero sin aristas. umas primera gluma de la espiguilla sésil con el ápice delgado y redondeado, delimitado por una línea de pelos largos, los pelos continúan a ambos lados del dorso, segunda gluma con una línea de pelos que parte de un lado del apice y baja por los lados. Lemas de 2 a 3.5 mm de largo, con una arista obscura y torcida hacia abajo, 2 veces geniculada (Beetle et al., 1987).

Perenne

Especie perenne (Beetle et al.,1987).

3.4 Hábitat- SNIB - CONABIO, 2007

Frecuente en áreas de disturbio, variando de zonas semiáridas hasta humedales (Barkworth et al., 2003).

1.8 Usos de la especie

Forrajera en áreas donde se reporta como invasora (Gould, 1975).

sericeum: with silky appressed hairs, sericeous

Perennials, Terrestrial, not aquatic, Stems nodes swollen or brittle, Stems erect or ascending, Stems caespitose, tufted, or clustered, Stems terete, round in cross section, or polygonal, Stem nodes bearded or hairy, Stem internodes solid or spongy, Stem internodes hollow, Stems with inflorescence less than 1 m tall, Stems, culms, or scapes exceeding basal leaves, Leaves mostly cauline, Leaves conspicuously 2-ranked, distichous, Leaves sheathing at base, Leaf sheath mostly open, or loose, Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous, Leaf sheath hairy, hispid or prickly, Leaf sheath and blade differentiated, Leaf blades linear, Leaf blades 2-10 mm wid e, Leaf blades mostly flat, Leaf blade with prominently raised or widened midvein, Leaf blades mostly glabrous, Leaf blades more or less hairy, Leaf blades glaucous, blue-green, or grey, or with white glands, Ligule present, Ligule an unfringed eciliate membrane, Inflorescence terminal, Inflorescence a dense slender spike-like panicle or raceme, branches contracted, Inflorescence solitary, with 1 spike, fascicle, glomerule, head, or cluster per stem or culm, Inflorescence a panicle with narrowly racemose or spicate branches, Inflorescence a panicle with digitately arranged spicate branches, Inflorescence with 2-10 branches, Inflorescence branches paired or digitate at a single node, Flowers bisexual, Flowers unisexual, Spikelets pedicellate, Spikelets sessile or subsessile, Spikelets dorsally compressed or terete, Spikelet less than 3 mm wide, Spikelets with 2 florets, Spikelet with 1 fertile floret and 1-2 sterile florets, Spikelets paired at rachis nodes, Spikelets in pai red units, 1 sessile, 1 pedicellate, Pedicellate spikelet rudimentary or absent, usually sterile, Spikelets bisexual, Spikelets unisexual, Spikelets disarticulating below the glumes, Spikelets falling with parts of disarticulating rachis or pedicel, Spikelets conspicuously hairy , Rachilla or pedicel hairy, Glumes present, empty bracts, Glumes 2 clearly present, Glumes equal or subequal, Glumes equal to or longer than adjacent lemma, Glumes and spikelets tuberculate, warty, or spiny, Glumes 4-7 nerved, Glumes 8-15 nerved, Glume margins or apex erose-ciliate, Lemmas thin, chartaceous, hyaline, cartilaginous, or membranous, Lemma 1 nerved, Lemma glabrous, Lemma apex acute or acuminate, Lemma distinctly awned, more than 2-3 mm, Lemma with 1 awn, Lemma awn 2-4 cm long or longer, Lemma awned from tip, Lemma awn twisted, spirally coiled at base, like a corkscrew, Lemma awn once geniculate, bent once, Lemma margins thin, lying flat, Lemma straight, Callus or base of lemma evidently hairy, Callus hairs shorter than lemma, Stamens 3, Styles 2-fid, deeply 2-branched, Stigmas 2, Fruit - caryopsis, Caryopsis ellipsoid, longitudinally grooved, hilum long-linear.

Dichanthium sericeum là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Hòa thảo. Loài này được (R.Br.) A.Camus mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1921.