Chrysopogon pallidus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Lateral branches sparse; arising from mid culm and upper culm. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; without keel; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 20–40 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 5–7 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface papillose; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 18–30 cm long; 3–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 5–15 -nate; whorled at most nodes; 5–10 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous; villous; hairy at tip; bearded in axils.

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; flattened; 5–7 mm long; bearing a few hairs, or glabrous; hairy above.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 11–14 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; scabrous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 5.5–12 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; 10–13 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; curved; 4–5.5 mm long; pilose; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs tawny; 1.2–2.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; truncate; muticous, or awned; 0–2 -awned. Lower glume awn 0–9.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 11–18 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; 6.5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins; emarginate, or obtuse. Fertile lemma linear; 5.5–6.3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 42–70 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 16–21 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of limb; hispidulous. Palea linear; 2.5–4.5 mm long. Palea surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy on flanks.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Blake 1994.

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