Cymbopogon dependens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 90–120 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; 15–30 cm long; 0.5–2.5 mm wide; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty; 17–25 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole elliptic; 2–4 cm long; glabrous. Peduncle 0.8–1.1 cm long; pilose above.

Racemes 2; paired; erect; 2–2.5 cm long; bearing 3–5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; villous on surface; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 4–7 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2–2.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Raceme-bases flattened; subequal.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; semiterete; 2–2.5 mm long; villous; with 4–7 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas; linear; 2 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs 0.6–1.2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent, or obscure; 0–4 in number. Lower glume surface flat, or concave. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 17–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Soenarko 1993.

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