Chrysopogon copei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms slender; 100 cm long; 2 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal; without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths 10–20 cm long; keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.25 mm long. Leaf-blades drooping; filiform, or linear; 30–60 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate, or elliptic; 17 cm long; 4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2–15 -nate; whorled at most nodes; simple; 3–6 cm long. Panicle branches flexible, or capillary; straight, or flexuous; villous; 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; 3.5 mm long; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear, or lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus 0.3 mm long. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 5 -veined; acute. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 1.5 mm long; pubescent; base pungent. Spikelet callus hairs dark brown.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume subulate, or linear, or lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate. Upper glume linear, or elliptic, or oblong; 4.75–5 mm long; coriaceous; with hyaline margins; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long; glabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined; ciliate on margins; fringed above; truncate. Fertile lemma linear, or lanceolate; 4 mm long, or 5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 46 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 23 mm long; puberulous. Palea lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; hyaline. Palea apex emarginate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.75 mm long; truncate. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 3 mm long; yellow; apiculate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Mohanan & Ravi 2005.

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