Chrysopogon tadulingamii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 30–100 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths tight; 2–6 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate, or linear; convolute; 5–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes; 1–4 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous; bearded in axils.

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; angular; 3 mm long; pubescent.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; awned; one glume awned; with 10–15 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes; 4–5 mm long; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 3–4 mm long; bearded. Spikelet callus hairs dark brown.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; light brown; without keels. Lower glume surface hispidulous; hairy above. Upper glume oblong; 5–6 mm long; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 10–15 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; hyaline; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma linear, or oblong; 4–5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 50–60 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 20–30 mm long; pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.4 mm long. Anthers 2–3; 3–4 mm long; yellow.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Sreekumar et al 2006.

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