Chrysopogon purushothamanii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 3 mm diam. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Leaves distichous; without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths 4–8 cm long; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 25–50 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 12 cm long; 5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; whorled at most nodes; 2–4 cm long. Panicle axis 3–4 noded. Panicle branches capillary; 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; 2–2.5 mm long; ciliate; hairy all along but hairs longer above; with tawny hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; elliptic; 5–6 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 9 -veined; pilose (on midvein); ciliolate on margins. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 4.5 mm long; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1–2 mm long; bearded. Spikelet callus hairs tawny.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy above. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4–8 mm long; hispidulous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; hyaline; ciliate on margins; fringed in the middle; dentate; 2 -fid. Fertile lemma oblong; 5.5–6 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 35 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 18 mm long; scabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.65 mm long. Anthers 2–3; 2–3 mm long; yellow, or brown.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Ravi et al 2006.

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