Chrysopogon pauciflorus

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 10–30 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple; 5–8 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; villous (with yellow hairs); 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 filiform; 1 length of fertile spikelet; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; linear; 7 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 12–15 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 5–6 mm long; pubescent; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs red.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex obtuse; muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 110–150 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA. South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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