Chrysopogon intercedens

HABIT Perennial. Culms 180 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 30–60 cm long; 5–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; 19 cm long; 2 cm wide; bearing many spikelets. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; simple; 4–8 cm long.

Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets; 2–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 5.6–12 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique. Raceme-bases filiform; 30 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 4.1–4.5 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile spikelet; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.4–6.4 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; smooth; puberulous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.6–7.1 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1.5–1.7 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1.2–1.6 mm long.

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; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface convex; spinose; hispidulous. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.6–3 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; straight; 15–16 mm long overall; clearly exserted from spikelet; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous; with 0.2 mm long hairs.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.3–1.6 mm long (sessile), or 2.85 mm long (pedicelled).

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Veldkamp 1998.

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