Trichanthecium parvifolium Zuloaga & Morrone

31. Trichanthecium parvifolium (Lam.) Zuloaga & Morrone in Syst. Bot. Monogr. 94: 59. 2011. ≡ Panicum parvifolium Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 1: 173. 1791. Holotypus: SOUTH AMERICA: “ Ex America merid.”, s.d., Richard s.n. (P-LA image seen; isotype: US [US00139840] image seen). Creeping stoloniferous perennial, branching and rooting at nodes, to 1 m long, the culms and nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous. Ligule a membrane. Leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, flat, chartaceous, broad and amplexicaul at base, 1.5–3 × 0.2–0.7 cm, glaucous, drying yellow-green, mostly appressed to the stem, often becoming reflexed at maturity, glabrous on both sides, or with a few long cilia near the ligule. Panicles terminal, the uppermost leaf blade usually partly covering the panicle, or shortly exserted, 1–3 cm long, ovate, the branches spreading or slightly reflexed, glabrous. Spikelets ovate to elliptic, apically obtuse, 1–2 mm long, green, never gaping open. Lower glume ½–2/3 as long as the spikelet, chartaceous, apically obtuse, 3– 5-veined, glabrous. Upper glume as long as the spikelet, herbaceous, 5-veined, glabrous. Lower floret barren, with a fully developed palea. Lower lemma herbaceous, 5-veined, glabrous. Upper lemma smooth, shiny, pale. Distribution and ecology. – Common across Africa and South America. In damp shaded locations across most of Madagascar, absent from the southwest, 0–1500 m (Fig. 16B). Notes. – Common understory plant. Can be recognised by the characteristic shape of the plant: short appressed leaves on the apical part of the culms partly covering the spreading panicle branches. This species is illustrated by BOSSER (1969: Fig. 124f-j) and by ZULOAGA et al. (2011: Fig. 26). Additional material examined. – MADAGASCAR. Prov. Antananarivo: près Ambatolaona, 19.XI.1950, Benoist 313 (P [P01914195], TAN); Analabe, 1951, Bosser 597 (TAN); PK 13 rte Majunga, IX.1957, Bosser 12282 (TAN); rte Moramanga – lac Alaotra, VI.1959, Bosser 13056 (P [P01914198], TAN); ibid. loco, VI.1959, Bosser 13057 (P [P01914188]); vallée de Soavina, XI.1960, Bosser 14820 (P [P01914199], TAN); vallée de la Saonjo, Beboho, V.1964, Morat 1087 (P [P01914180]); Ambatovy, 18°48'47"S 48°19'40"E, 23.II.2005, Rakotovao et al. 1356 (K [K000805544], P [P06795471]); Ambohijatovo, Service de l’Agriculture 338 (TAN). Prov. Antsiranana: Kelidada, 13°31'S 48°44'E, 11.X.2011, Hall et al. 16 (K, TAN); vallée de l’Antsahabe, 10.III.1949, Humbert 23333 (P [P03182740], TAN); Mananjeba, VII.1913, Perrier de la Bâthie 10720 (K [K000805550], P [P03182758]); Manongarivo, XII.1903, Perrier de la Bâthie 11099 (P [P03182732], TAN). Prov. Fianarantsoa: Ampamaherana, Fianarantsoa, XII.1951, Bosser 1445 (TAN); plateau de l’Horombe, 11.II.1970, Bosser 19879 (K [K000805540], P [P02222322]); Ambohimitombo forest, Aanala, 23.XI.1894, Forsyth-Major 424 (K [K000805547]); Mananjary, III.1909, Geay 7025 (P [P01914190]); ibid. loco, III.1909, Geay 7474 (P [P01914170]); near Ranomafana, 29.XII.1967, Haine 46 (K [K000805542]); aviations de Sahambava, 17.IV.1941, Herb. Jard. Bot.Tan. 4876 (P [P01914183]); Horombe, III.1970, Morat 3465 (TAN); Ambohimanga du Sud, 8.XI.1963, Rakotozafy 172 (TAN); Isalo NP, above Namaza camp, 22°32'20"S 45°22'43"E, 16.XII.2013, Vorontsova et al. 1302 (TAN). Prov. Mahajanga: entre Mandritsara et Andilamena, XI.1937, Humbert 17988 (P [P01914185]); Maningoza riv., VI.1911, Perrier de la Bâthie 10836 (P [P03487903]); Analalava, 17.VIII.1921, Waterlot 224 (P [P01914174]). Prov. Toamasina: Sainte Marie, 1849, Boivin s.n. (K [K000805548]); E, XI.1954, Bosser & Descoings 84b (P [P01914187]); c. 30 km N of Tamatave, 27.II.1975, Croat 32474 (TAN); Vohibinany au S du Tamatave, 10.V.1928, Decary 6523 (P [P01914159]); Ambohimena, Amparihy, 18°12'17"S 48°16'46"E, 2.II.2010, Frasier et al. 62 (P [P06768556]); lac Alaotra, Herb. Jard. Bot. Tan. 3408 (P [P01914167]); Manompana, I.1964, Morat 373 (TAN); Foulpointe, I.1964, Morat 381 (TAN); ibid. loco, I.1964, Morat 403 (TAN); lac Alaotra, VIII.1912, Perrier de la Bâthie 10785 (G, P [P03182759]); forêt d’Analamazaotra, XII, Perrier de la Bâthie 10920 (P [P03182729]); Ivoloina, V.1953, Portères s.n. (P [P02307378]); village Bembary, Marovoay, 18°16'22"S 48°15'40"E, 3.II.2010, Rakotovao & Razanatsoa 5148 (G, P [P06768589]); Manaka E, 19.XI.1960, Rakotovao 11297 (P [P01914194]); lac Alaotra, 15.VI.1995, Ranarijaona 50 (P [P02373627]); 5 km W of Moramanga, 18°55'22"S 48°10'48"E, 6.II.2000, Raynal-Roques & Jérémie 24943 (K [K000805543], P [P02309325]); Tamatave, 13.XI.1964, Tateoka 3572 (P [P01914200], TAN); Vohitra près de Brickaville, 4.X.1912, Viguier & Humbert 475 (P [P02726814]). Prov. Toliara: Ste Marie, 1847, Boivin s.n. (P [P01914177]); ibid. loco, 1849, Boivin s.n. (P [P01914179]); ibid. loco, IV.1851, Boivin s.n. (P [P01914181]); Fort Dauphin, Decary 9806 (K [K000805541], P [P01914171]); côte SW, Grandidier s.n. (P [P01914166]); vallée de l’Iantara, bassin du Manampatra, 16.XI.1924, Humbert 3417 (G, P [P01914162], TAN); env. de Fort Dauphin, près de Nampohana, 20.IX.1928, Humbert 5753 (K [K000805551], P [P01914193, P03182730]); Fort Dauphin, Keraudren-Aymonin & Aymonin 24883 (P [P01914196]); Mandromodromotra, 23.XI.1959, Peltier & Peltier 1498 (P [P01914192], TAN). Sine loco: 1847, Boivin s.n. (P); Boivin s.n. (P [P01914191]); Boivin s.n. (K [K000805546]); Maromandia, 12.XI.1922, Decary 1230 (P [P01914160]); Maromandia, Sandralsoto, 27.XI.1922, Decary 1270 (P [P01914161]); Perville s.n. (P); Rouguette 3 (P [P01914165]).Published as part of Vorontsova, Maria S., 2018, Revision of the group previously known as Panicum L. (Poaceae: Panicoideae) in Madagascar, pp. 143-186 in Candollea 73 (2) on pages 182-183, DOI: 10.15553/c2018v732a1, http://zenodo.org/record/572451