GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Chrysopogon pseudozeylanicus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms erect; 90 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 25–50 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; stiff.

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

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–3.5 cm long. Panicle axis 3–4 noded. Panicle branches capillary; smooth.

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; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of fertile spikelet; villous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; shorter than fertile, or as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 4–5 mm long; 3–5 -veined; ciliolate on margins; acuminate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes; 2.5–3 mm long; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1 mm long; pilose; base acute. Spikelet callus hairs dark brown.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 4 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous (at apex). Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–5 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma linear; 3–3.3 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous. Palea 1.5 mm long; hyaline.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bhat. & Nay. 1999.

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