Smallseed Paspalum

Paspalum parviflorum Rohde ; Fliigge, Gram
Monog. 98. 1810.
An annual grass. Stems up to 1.5 dm. tall, erect, branched, the nodes somewhat pilose; leaf -sheaths lax, commonly shorter than the internodes, hirsute; blades linear, narrow, flat, covered with long spreading hairs; axis of the inflorescence 4-6 mm. long, the axils pilose; racemes 2 or 3, 8-14 mm. long, alternate, erect, finally horizontal or reflexed, the rachis strongly flexuous, as wide as the spikelets, hispidulous on the margins; spikelets singly disposed, on somewhat longer pedicels, elliptic, obtuse, glabrous, the first scale wanting, the second and third scales equal, 2-nerved, the fruiting scale yellowish, as long as the spikelet.
Type locality : Porto Rico.
Distribution : Porto Rico ; also in Brazil. No material of this has been seen, and the above is compiled from the original description.

Annuals, 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, Stems branching above base or distally at nodes, Stem internodes hollow, Stems with inflorescence less than 1 m tall, Stems, culms, or scapes exceeding basal leaves, Leaves mostly basal, below middle of stem, Leaves mostly cauline, Leaves conspicuously 2-ranked, distichous, Leaves sheathing at base, Leaf sheath mostly open, or loose, Leaf sheath hairy, hispid or prickly, Leaf sheath or blade keeled, Leaf sheath and blade differentiated, Leaf blades linear, Leaf blades very narrow or filiform, less than 2 mm wide, Leaf blades mostly flat, Leaf blade marg ins folded, involute, or conduplicate, Leaf blade with prominently raised or widened midvein, Leaf blades more or less hairy, Leaf blades scabrous, roughened, or wrinkled, Ligule present, Ligule an unfringed eciliate membrane, Inflorescence terminal, Inflorescence solitary, with 1 spike, fascicle, glomerule, head, or cluster per stem or culm, Inflorescence a panicle with narrowly racemose or spicate branches, Inflorescence single raceme, fascicle or spike, Inflorescence with 2-10 branches, Inflorescence branches 1-sided, Rachis dilated, flat, central axis to which spikelets are attached, Rachis angular, Flowers bisexual, Spikelets pedicellate, Spikelets dorsally compressed or terete, Spikelet less than 3 mm wide, Spikelets with 1 fertile floret, Spikelets with 2 florets, Spikelet with 1 fertile floret and 1-2 sterile florets, Spikelets solitary at rachis nodes, Spikelets all alike and fertille, Spikelets bisexual, Spikelets disarticulating below the glumes, Spikelets secund , in rows on one side of rachis, Rachilla or pedicel glabrous, Glumes present, empty bracts, Glumes 1 clearly present, the other greatly reduced or absent, Glumes distinctly unequal, Glumes equal to or longer than adjacent lemma, Glume equal to or longer than spikelet, Lemma similar in texture to glumes, Lemma becoming indurate, enclosing palea and caryopsis, Lemma glabrous, Lemma apex truncate, rounded, or obtuse, Lemma awnless, Lemma margins inrolled, tightly covering palea and caryopsis, Lemma straight, Palea present, well developed, Palea shorter than lemma, Stamens 3, Styles 2-fid, deeply 2-branched, Stigmas 2, Fruit - caryopsis.