Chrysopogon latifolius

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms robust; 100–150 cm long. Lateral branches ample; arising from upper culm. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; without keel; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 30–60 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle contracted; linear; 20–25 cm long; 4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 10–30 -nate; whorled at most nodes; 2–6 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous; villous; hairy at tip.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets; 1 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis obsolete.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 4.2–5.5 mm long; scabrous; pubescent.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 7.5–9 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 6–13 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 lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7.7–8.3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; curved; 2–2.4 mm long; pilose; base acute. Spikelet callus hairs tawny; 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 4–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 9–13 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; 3.8–4.7 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins; emarginate. Fertile lemma linear; 4.5–5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 37–42 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 0.33–0.4 length of limb; pubescent. Palea lanceolate; 2.4–2.8 mm long; 0–2 -veined. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on flanks.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.2–3.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis 3–5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Blake 1994.

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