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 subtilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 20–30 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 4–12 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches not whorled. Panicle branches capillary; apically expanded; pubescent; 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; 2 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; muticous. 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; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1–2 mm long; pilose; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs tawny.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough at apex. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 10 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC 1994.

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