Chrysopogon sylvaticus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–120 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 25–50 cm long; 2.5–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 8–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes; simple; 4–8 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; 1–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis evident, or obsolete; fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 5.5–7 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1–2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 5.5–7 mm long; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, or well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; 3–7.3 mm long; shorter than 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; 7.5–9.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.3–2 mm long; bearded; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs red; 2–3.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous (above). Lower glume apex truncate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3–5 mm long; glabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; 5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 17–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea oblong; 0.5–0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex truncate.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Vickery.

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