Chrysopogon serrulatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 40–150 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 2–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches capillary; villous (fulvously); 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 linear; 0.25–0.5 length of fertile spikelet; villous; hairy all along but hairs longer above; with dark brown hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; (3–)4.5–8 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with (0–)3–7 mm long awn; awn glabrous, or pubescent (obscurely). Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–8.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1–1.5 mm long; bearded; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs yellow, or dark brown; 0.3 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels. Lower glume surface hispidulous; hairy at apex. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein eciliate (or a few white hairs). Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy at apex. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 6–12 mm long; hispidulous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20–30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous, or pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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