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molasses grass

Habit Plants perennial; cespitose; aromatic.
Culms

(50)80-150 cm, branching and sprawling, often becoming matted, usually rooting at the lower nodes;

upper nodes appressed pubescent;

internodes glabrous basally, appressed pubescent distally.

Sheaths

densely tomentose, hairs 0.5-5.2 mm, spreading, papillose-based, often sticky and smelling of linseed oil;

ligules of hairs, 1-2 mm;

blades 3.5-19 cm long, 4-14 mm wide, flat, pubescent, hairs sometimes papillose-based.

Panicles

(4.5)7-20 cm long, 1-9.5 cm wide, narrowly ovate;

primary branches to 8 cm;

pedicels usually shorter than the spikelets, glabrous, scabridulous.

Spikelets

1.7-2.4 mm, usually purplish;

calluses glabrous.

Caryopses

0.9-1.2 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide.

Lower

glumes absent or to 0.3 mm, glabrous, scabridulous;

upper glumes 1.6-2.4 mm, glabrous, unawned, sometimes muticous;

lower florets sterile;

lower lemmas bilobed, lobes 0.2-0.7 mm, unawned or awned, awns to 18 mm;

lower paleas absent;

upper lemmas 1.4-1.9 mm, glabrous;

upper paleas 1.5-1.9 mm, usually slightly longer than the upper lemmas;

anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm, reddish-brown to orange.

2n

= 36.

Melinis minutiflora

Distribution
from FNA
FL; HI; PR
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Melinis minutiflora is native to Africa, but has been introduced throughout the tropics as a forage crop. It is now regarded as a serious weed in many places. In the Flora region, it is only known to be established in southern Florida.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 490.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Melinis
Sibling taxa
M. nerviglumis, M. repens
Name authority P. Beauv.
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