Sorghum grande

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pilose. Culms robust; 180–300 cm long; 4–7 mm diam.; 6–7 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes brown; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent, or bearded. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; dense; 26–44 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches simple; 3–6 cm long.

Racemes bearing 3–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; flattened; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–9 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; pubescent; ciliate on margins; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 8–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; straight; 0.5–1.6 mm long; base obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous to pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline; 2 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 25–60 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn ciliate. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; fleshy; ciliate; hairy on the corners. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 3–6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Lazarides 1993.

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