Chrysopogon celebicus

HABIT Perennial. Culms 60–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.15–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 16.5–85 cm long; 4–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme; terminal and axillary.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 7–12 cm long; 0.6–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches not whorled, or whorled at lower nodes; simple, or sparsely divided; 3–5.7 cm long.

Racemes bearing 4–7 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins, or ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 2.7–7.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse, or oblique; cupuliform. Raceme-bases filiform; 15–20 mm long; glabrous.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 2.4–4.1 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of fertile spikelet; smooth; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear; dorsally compressed; 1.95–4.5 mm long; shorter than fertile, or as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; scaberulous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 4–4.85 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.6–0.75 mm long; bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1.5–3.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface convex; spinose; rough generally; hispidulous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.45–1.85 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or geniculate; 3.75–9 mm long overall; clearly exserted from spikelet; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous, or puberulous; with 0–0.05 mm long hairs.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.35–2.15 mm long (sessile), or 3.15–3.75 mm long (pedicelled).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Veldkamp 1998.

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