Chrysopogon festucoides

HABIT Perennial. Culms 150–250 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.45–1.3 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 17–74 cm long; 4–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 15–27 cm long; 3.5–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; simple; 6–9.5 cm long.

Racemes bearing 8–13 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins, or ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4.1–9.2 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Raceme-bases filiform; 6–35 mm long; glabrous.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 2.25–3.15 mm long; 0.6 length of fertile spikelet; scaberulous; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear; dorsally compressed; 3.75–5.25 mm long; 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; 4.1–5.4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.75–1.1 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white, or yellow; 0.4–1.5 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. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; puberulous; hairy above. Upper glume mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.2–1.5 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; 2.5–5.25 mm long overall; clearly exserted from spikelet; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.1 mm long (sessile & 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.