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crimson fountain grass, Fountaingrass, tender Fountaingrass

pearl millet, yellow bristlegrass

Habit Plants perennial, or annual in temperate climates; cespitose. Plants annual.
Culms

40-150 cm, erect, pubescent beneath the panicle;

nodes glabrous.

50-300 cm, erect, branching;

nodes glabrous.

Sheaths

glabrous or pubescent, with or without ciliate margins;

ligules 2-5 mm;

blades 15-100 cm long, 7-70 mm wide, flat, glabrous or pubescent.

Leaves

green, sometimes glaucous;

sheaths glabrous, margins ciliate;

ligules 0.5-1.1 mm;

blades 20-65 cm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, convolute or folded, scabrous, midvein noticeably thickened.

Panicles

(6)8-32 cm long, 40-52 mm wide, erect or arching, pink to dark burgundy;

rachises pubescent.

terminal, 4-200 cm long, 2-70 mm wide, fully exerted from the sheaths, erect;

rachises terete, densely pubescent.

Spikelets

4.5-7 mm, sessile or pedicellate;

pedicels to 0.1 mm;

lower glumes absent or to 0.3 mm, veinless;

upper glumes 1.2-3.6 mm, (0)1-veined;

lower florets usually sterile, sometimes staminate;

lower lemmas 4-6 mm, 3-veined, acuminate, midvein excurrent to 0.7 mm;

lower paleas usually absent, if present, to 4.4 mm;

anthers absent or 2.3-2.4 mm;

upper lemmas 4.5-6.7 mm, attenuate, 5-veined, midvein excurrent to 0.7 mm, margins glabrous;

anthers 2.1-2.7 mm.

3-7 mm;

pedicels 0.6-1.8 mm;

lower glumes absent or to 1.5 mm, veinless;

upper glumes 0.5-3.5 mm, 3-5-veined;

lower florets staminate or sterile;

lower lemmas 1.5-6 mm, glabrous, 3-7-veined, margins ciliate;

lower paleas vestigial or fully developed, margins ciliate;

anthers 2.2-2.5 mm, penicillate;

upper florets coriaceous, shiny;

upper lemmas 4.3-7 mm, 5-7(9)-veined, margins ciliate;

upper paleas 3.4-3.9 mm, pubescent, at least near the base, margins ciliate;

anthers 2-2.2 mm, penicillate.

Caryopses

2-5.5 mm long, 1.6-3.2 mm wide, protruding from the lemma and palea at maturity.

Fascicles

8-10 per cm;

fascicle axes 2.3-4.5 mm, with 1-4 spikelets;

outer bristles 28-65, 0.9-19 mm;

inner bristles 8-16, 8-27 mm, ciliate;

primary bristles 26.5-34.3 mm, ciliate, noticeably longer than the other bristles.

33-160 per cm;

fascicle axes 1-28 mm, persistent, with 1-9 spikelets;

outer bristles 44-131, 0.5-6 mm;

inner bristles 6-19, 4-6 mm, plumose;

primary bristles 5.5-6.3, ciliate, sometimes noticeably longer than the other bristles.

2n

= 27.

= 14.

Pennisetum setaceum

Pennisetum glaucum

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; FL; KY; LA; NM; OR; TN; HI
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; PR
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Pennisetum setaceum is a desert grass native to the eastern Mediterranean region. It is a popular ornamental throughout the southern United States, but it is also an invasive weed.

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

Pennisetum glaucum, a native of Asia, is cultivated in the United States for grain, forage, and birdseed. It is the most drought tolerant of the tropical cereal crops. Under favorable conditions, 10,000-30,000+ fascicles may be produced. In the Flora region, it is used for soil stabilization, partly because it seldom persists for more than 1-2 years.

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

Source FNA vol. 25. FNA vol. 25.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Pennisetum Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Pennisetum
Sibling taxa
P. advena, P. alopecuroides, P. ciliare, P. clandestinum, P. flaccidum, P. glaucum, P. latifolium, P. macrostachys, P. macrourum, P. nervosum, P. orientale, P. pedicellatum, P. petiolare, P. polystachion, P. purpureum, P. setigerum, P. villosum
P. advena, P. alopecuroides, P. ciliare, P. clandestinum, P. flaccidum, P. latifolium, P. macrostachys, P. macrourum, P. nervosum, P. orientale, P. pedicellatum, P. petiolare, P. polystachion, P. purpureum, P. setaceum, P. setigerum, P. villosum
Synonyms Paspalum debile
Name authority (Forssk.) Chiov. (L.) R. Br.
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