Chrysopogon micrantherus

HABIT Perennial. Culms 165–200 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.45 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 50–100 cm long; 3.5–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; 19–27 cm long; 2–4.5 cm wide; bearing many spikelets. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; simple, or sparsely divided; 6.5–7.5 cm long.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; (1–)2–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis evident, or obsolete; fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 4.9–8 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique. Raceme-bases filiform; 40–45 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 2.25–2.4 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile spikelet; smooth; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.3–6.3 mm long; as long as 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; 5.3–6.3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1.2–2.25 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1.8–3.6 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; smooth, or spinose; hispidulous. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.4–3.45 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; 5.25–14 mm long overall; clearly exserted from spikelet; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous; with 0.1 mm long hairs.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3; 0.6–1 mm long (sessile), or 2.8–4.05 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.