Chrysopogon gryllus

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 50–150 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 15–35 cm long; 2.5–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute, or acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open, or contracted; ovate; 6–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; whorled at most nodes; simple. Panicle branches flexible, or capillary; straight, or flexuous; villous (fulvously); hairy at tip.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; 1–5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis evident, or obsolete; fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs red. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat.

Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1–2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 0.66–0.75 length of fertile spikelet; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 7–11 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with 3.5–7 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 2 mm long; pilose; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs red.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 5–8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels. Lower glume surface spinose; rough on flanks; hispid; hairy at apex. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface hispid; hairy at apex. Upper glume muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–10 mm long; glabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 12–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India and Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Pak.

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