1. Oplismenus hirtellus (L.) P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 54, 168, 170 (1812).

Por R.W. Pohl y G. Davidse.

Panicum hirtellum L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 870 (1759). Lectotipo (designado por Hitchcock, 1908): Jamaica, Browne s.n. (LINN-80.28).

Perennes. Tallos erectos 60-90 cm; entrenudos glabros. Hojas glabras o pilosas; lígula 0.6-1.5 mm; láminas 4-12 cm x 4-20 mm. Inflorescencia 4-14 cm, densa; eje escabroso, puberulento o piloso; racimos 3-10, hasta 3.5 cm, compactos, las espiguillas traslapándose, hasta 4 mm de separación, el raquis más o menos uniformemente papiloso-híspido. Espiguillas 3-4 mm, glabras o pilosas, las aristas lisas; gluma inferior 1.7-2.5 mm, la arista 4-16 mm; gluma superior 1.8-2.7 mm, la arista 1.5-4 mm; flósculo inferior estéril; lema inferior 2.4-3.5 mm, 5-9-nervia; pálea inferior ausente; lema superior 2.3-3 mm; anteras 1.3-1.7 mm. Matorrales o bosques abiertos, arvense. T-P. 0-2300 m. (Pantropical.)

Existe una amplia intergradación entre ambas subespecies, y sería más realista reconocerlas en una categoría inferior.

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Oplismenus hirtellus (L.) P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 54, 170. 1812; Panicum hirtellum L.

Perennes; tallos erectos 60–90 cm de largo; entrenudos glabros. Hojas glabras o pilosas; lígula 0.6–1.5 mm de largo; láminas 4–12 cm de largo y 4–20 mm de ancho. Inflorescencia 4–14 cm de largo, densa, eje escabroso, puberulento o piloso, racimos 3–10, hasta 3.5 cm de largo, compactos, las espiguillas traslapándose, hasta 4 mm de separación, el raquis más o menos uniformemente papiloso-híspido; espiguillas 3–4 mm de largo, glabras o pilosas, las aristas lisas; gluma inferior 1.7–2.5 mm de largo, la arista 4–16 mm de largo, gluma superior 1.8–2.7 mm de largo, la arista 1.5–4 mm de largo; flósculo inferior estéril; lema inferior 2.4–3.5 mm de largo, 5–9-nervia; pálea inferior ausente; lema superior 2.3–3 mm de largo; anteras 1.3–1.7 mm de largo.

Pantropical. Existe una amplia intergradación entre ambas subespecies, y sería más realista reconocerlas en una categoría inferior.

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Widely spreading perennial; culms with short internodes, freely branching, decumbent-spreading and rooting at the nodes, the erect or ascending branches 20-70 cm. long; sheaths glabrous to densely papillose-hispid, the margins ciliate, the lower ones usually much shorter than the internodes, the upper frequently overlapping; blades 4-10 cm., rarely 15 cm., long, 1-2 cm. wide, acuminate, usually asymmetric, rather thin, glabrous or sometimes pubescent, the margins scabrous; inflorescence 5-15 cm. long, of 3-7 stiffly ascending, rather distant racemes 1-2 cm., rarely 3 cm., long, the rachis more or less papillose-hispid, es- pecially at the base; spikelets 3-3.5 mm. long, glabrous to sparsely pilose; glumes about equal, 2 mm. long; awns glabrous, usually purplish, that of the first glume 5-10 cm. long, that of the second about 2 mm. long; sterile lemma acuminate; fruit 3 mm. long, elliptic, acute, minutely striate.

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Plantas rastreras y erectas, 45–95 cm. Hojas con la vaina glabra; lígula hasta ca. 1.5 mm, inconspicua;lámina 3.5–13 cm × 4–18(–22) mm, glabra a papiloso-híspida. Infl. 4–15.5 cm, puberulenta a pilosa, los raci-mos hasta ca. 3.5 cm, compactos y moderadamente espaciados. Espiguillas 2.9–4.2 mm, traslapadas, separadaspor <3 mm, las aristas lisas; gluma inferior 1.7–2.5 mm, la superior 1.8–2.8 mm; flósculo superior 2.5–3 mm;lema inferior 2.5–3.5 mm, 5–9-nervada.

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Straggling, often with long aerial roots from the nodes

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Forest shade.

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Rather variable, particularly in the size, shape and hairiness of its leaf-blades, and also in panicle characters.

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Inflorescence 3–15 cm. long, comprising 3–9 racemes each 0.5–3 cm. long with glabrous to sparsely pilose rhachis and ± contiguous spikelets, or the upper reduced to fascicles; sometimes all the racemes very short, but then the awns also short (less than 7 mm.).

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Perennial with rambling culms 15–100 cm. long or more.

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Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1–13 cm. long, 4–20 mm. wide.

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Spikelets lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; glumes with smooth viscid awns, the longest in each pair of spikelets 3–14 mm. long.

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Rambling perennial with lanceolate to narrowly ovate leaf laminae.

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Culms 15–100 cm. long or more.

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Spikelets 2–4 mm. long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; awns smooth and sticky, the longest in each pair of spikelets 3–14 mm.

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Racemes with a distinct rhachis up to 3 cm. long, the spikelet pairs contiguous; rarely the racemes all ± cuneate, but then awns also short.

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Prostrate perennial (sometimes climbing in undergrowth), up to 0.8 m high. Leaf blades up to 130 mm long, 4-20 mm wide. Spikelets 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence of racemes, with 6-20 spikelets; glumes with smooth sticky awns 3-14 mm long.

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Trailing perennial, stems to 80 cm. Leaves lanceolate to ovate. Spikelets 6-20 in racemes, awns smooth, sticky.

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Erva

In forest shade.

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Forest shade.

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Terrícola

Moist forests, thickets, and banks of rivers and streams, Mexico and the West Indies to Argentina.

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Knysna to tropical Africa.

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