This trial was carried out to evaluate the morphological characteristics of three Elephant grass clones (Cameroon, Roxo de Botucatu and Mott) and an Elephant grass with pearl millet hybrid (HV-241) submitted to two humidity regimes (with and without water stress). A randomized block design with split plots and three replicates was used. In the main plot, the effect of the humidity regimes was studied, and in the split plot, the different clones. Plants submitted to water stress showed lower height, and none of them showed internodes above cutting height (10 cm). As a result of water stress, the plant height reductions were 42.7% (Cameroon), 35.05% (Roxo de Botucatu), 28.54% (hybrid HV-241) and 27.43% (Mott). Leaf blade length was reduced from 69.9 cm, in the wet treatment, to 50.0 cm in those submitted to water stress, whereas leaf blade width average of water stress plants was less than a half of that in wet treatment plants. Water stress did not disturb tillering of cultivars but, in HV-241 hybrid, it reduced both the number of lateral tillers/plant and total number of tillers/plant. In both humidity regimes, hybrid HV-241 was the clone, which showed the largest tillering. It was observed that, except for tillering of cultivars, water stress promoted a reduction on the other morphologic studied parameters.
leaf size; plant height; tillering
