Andropogon campestris

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 70–80 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base tapering to the midrib. Leaf-blades convolute; 20–50 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 3–4; digitate; 6–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; plumose on margins. Rhachis hairs 3.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform; with simple rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; plumose.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 unequal glumes without lemmas; lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 9–11 -veined (lower), or 5–7 -veined (upper); acute; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; 7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface concave; glabrous. Upper glume linear; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 3 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 5–6 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea 2 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl. Bras. 2004.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.