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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Chrysopogon polyphyllus

HABIT Perennial. Culms 60–90 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or fastigiate. Leaves distichous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 15–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; oblong; 10–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; 0.6–1.2 cm long.

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; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of fertile spikelet; villous; hairy at tip.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; pilose (on midvein); acuminate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5 mm long; pilose; hairy below; base obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; pallid, or purple; without keels. Lower glume primary vein ciliate (above). Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliate.

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; flexuous, or geniculate; 3–8 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Blatt & McCann 1994.

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