Flowering Kike

Some of the the kikuyu has thrown out long white filaments and I have only just noticed that there are little seeds on the ends of the stems.  The botanical name for Kikuyu is Pennisetum clandestinum and this flowering is a fairly clandestine operation.

The official description  says “Inflorescence reduced to a cluster of 2–4 very shortly stalked spikelets, almost enclosed in the uppermost leaf sheath.  Spikelets 10–20 mm long, narrow, comprising 2 florets, the lower one sterile, the upper one bisexual or functionally male or female;  3 stamens, on slender filaments to 50 mm long, with anthers 5–7 mm long;  single stigma to 30 mm long, occasionally bifid.

Caryopses ovoid, dark brown, about 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm broad, pointed with persistent short style. Can flower in any month in the absence of frost, with a peak in autumn and spring.  Flowering is stimulated by regular mowing or heavy grazing.  In bisexual spikelets, the stigma emerges 1–3 days before the stamens of the same flower, encouraging outcrossing.”