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 verticillatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 150–250 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 20–45 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose. Leaf-blade margins spinulose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 15–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches straight; 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 linear; 3 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet; ciliate; with red hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 5–6 mm long awn. 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; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse. Spikelet callus hairs red.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein pubescent. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 8–10 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; 30–45 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC 1994.

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