Compilation
Panicum lutetense

Perennial, 2–4 (rarely to over 6) ft. high. Culms ascending from a branched prostrate or rambling or climbing and often rooting base, the erect parts simple or sparingly branched, the internodes of the base frequently strongly compressed, wiry, short or long and like the others very smooth and glabrous, the upper at length mostly somewhat elongated and exserted, sulcate or angular. Leaf-sheaths subherbaceous, tight, firm, terete, prominently striate, densely ciliate, otherwise quite glabrous and very smooth, rarely with a few hairs upwards; ligules very narrow, membranous, ciliolate or almost suppressed; blades lanceolate to lanceolate-linear from a broad suddenly constricted and rounded base, long-acuminate with a fine callous point, 3–5 (occasionally 7) in. by 4–9 lin., spreading, firm, flat, more or less greyish-green, glabrous or finely tomentellous and ciliate at the rounded base, smooth except along the scabrid finely cartilaginous margins, midrib fine below, primary nerves 3–6 on each side, distinct on both sides or at least below, with up to 7 secondary nerves between, which are connected by numerous minute cross-veins. Panicles erect, straight or nodding, at length more or less exserted, 3–10 in. long, made up (in the African specimens) of 4–7 suberect interruptedly spiciform or racemiform branches distantly disposed on a slender semiterete and facially flat or sulcate or upwards gradually subtriquetrous to triquetrous smooth common axis, branches villosulous at the very base, the longest half to two-thirds the length of the panicle, more or less triquetrous with scabrid lateral angles, a flat or subconvex back, up to 1/4 lin. wide, and a more or less broadly and bluntly keeled face, with upwards evanescent grooves on alternate sides of the successive internodes which are 2–2 1/2 lin. long, at its nodes bearing from the base or more rarely above it solitary or paired or scantily clustered spikelets or in the lower part of the panicle short secondary branches of a similar structure; pedicels stiff, angular, scaberulous with truncate tips, if paired or clustered, one or several very short to short, the longest 2–3 lin. long. Spikelets lanceolate-oblong, bluntly apiculate, 2–2 1/2 lin. long, pale green with darker tips, quite glabrous. Glumes membranous, unequal, with green nerves; lower lanceolate from an ovate base, acuminate, two-thirds to four-fifths the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved, middle nerve more prominent upwards and often ending with a short blunt keel; upper glume corresponding in length and shape to the spikelet, 5-nerved, with laterally slightly compressed thick blunt tips. Lower, floret barren: valve very similar to the upper glume, but usually slightly shorter; valvule more or less reduced, oblong, acute, keels finely scaberulous. Upper floret oblong, bluntly mucronulate from the valve, 2 lin. long, smooth, white, at length turning brownish, glossy; valve and valvule coriaceous, mucro of the valve and often the tip below it minutely rough, tip of the valvule subcucullate, slightly recurved and reversedly ciliolate on the inflexed margin; anthers 1 lin. long.