Chrysopogon nemoralis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal; flabellate. Culms erect; 40–75 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 3–4 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 2–3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–20 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 8–15 cm long; 6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; 1.5 cm long. Panicle branches apically expanded; pubescent; hairy at tip.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; 1–2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Rhachis internodes filiform; 5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique.

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 filiform; flattened; 4.5–5 mm long; scaberulous; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas; linear; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; 3 -veined; scaberulous; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 2 mm long; pilose; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs yellow.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface spinose; rough on veins. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.5–3 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Palea of lower sterile floret 2.5 mm long. Fertile lemma linear; 3.2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins extending close to apex. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; 12–17 mm long overall.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Gilliland 1997.

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