herbaceous. Peduncle widened at apex. Racemes single, unilateral, 1-3 cm long, bearing a few fertile spikelets. Rachis fragile at the nodes, subterete, glabrous on
surface, internodes 3-5 mm long, linear, bearing a sterile companion laterally. Sexes segregated on bisexual branches, with male above; spikelets embracing internodes, in
pairs; fertile spikelets sessile, 1 in cluster; companion sterile spikelets pedicelled, 1 in cluster; male spikelets sessile and pedicelled, 2 in cluster; pedicels free. Sterile
spikelets: companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, shorter than fertile, deciduous with the fertile. Fertile spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1 fertile florets, without
rachilla extension, oblong, 10 mm long, dorsally compressed, falling entire; callus base truncate, attached transversely. Glumes dissimilar, exceeding apex of florets, firmer
than fertile lemma. Lower glume as long as spikelets, oblong, coriaceous, without keels, winged on margins, surface smooth, glabrous, apex emarginate. Upper glumes
8 mm long, coriaceous, without keels, 12-nerved, apex acute. Florets: basal sterile florets barren, without significant palea, lemma 6 mm long, elliptic, hyaline, 3-nerved,
acute; fertile florets female, lemma 5 mm long, oblong, hyaline, without keel, apex acute; palea present, 4 mm long, lanceolate, hyaline. Caryopsis 3 mm long, with
adherent pericarp.
Notes Found in Indo-China and Malesia. This specimen was found among a bundle of
unlabelled grasses, all identified by Ohwi during the war, at Buitenzorg. It near come from the Phillipines, from Celebes, or another Eastern island.
Distribution
Celebes ?, or Phillipine ?.
Habitat
Not recorded.
Specimen examined
leg. ign. 20 BO.
19. CHRYSOPOGON Trin. Type: Chrysopogon gryllus L. Trinn. Fund. Agrost.
187. 1820. Centrophorum Trin. Fund. Agrost. 106, t. 5. 1820; Austrobaileya 53: 503-
504. 1999. Chalcoelytrum Lunel. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 4: 212. 1915.
Mandelorna Steud. Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 359. 1854.
From the Greek word chrysos “golden” and pogon “a beard”, referring to the color of the awns or to the golden brown callus hairs of some species.
About 25 species, tropical to subtropical, warm regions, mainly in Asia and Australia. Plant annual or perennial, herbaceous, usually unbranched, sometimes
decumbent or slightly bent, mostly tufted. Culm internodes solid. Blades narrow. Auricle absent. Ligule a fringed membrane or a ciliate rim; rhizomatous or
stoloniferous; deep-rooting. Plants bisexual. Inflorescence loosely paniculate and filiform usually with terminal triads of spikelets or spikelets in pairs, spikelets at the
ends of the branches of panicle; 1 sessile bisexual spikelet and 2 pedicellate unawned spikelets developed or rudimentary; fertile spikelets compressed laterally; male
spikelets often purplish and compressed dorsally; tuft of long hairs on the branches below the spikelets. Lower glume cartilaginous and rounded on the back.
Upper glume often awned; lower floret reduced; upper lemma hyaline often 2-toothed and awned. Palea present or absent. Lodicule 2, glabrous, free and fleshy. Stamen 3.
Anther yellow. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis yellow and compressed. Cultivated fodder, weed species resistant to drought and heavy grazing, native
pasture species, lawns, playing fields, common in disturbed ground, heavy soils, open habitats, poor soils, rainforest, flood plains, desert, humid tropics.
Key to the Species
1.a. Ligule a short membrane; panicle ovate; spikelets in therees; fertile spikelets elliptic; callus linear, base pungent; principal awn apical …………………….
………………………………………………..19.1. Chrysopogon aciculatus
b. Ligule a fringe of hairs; panicle lanceolate; spikelets appressed in pairs; fertile
spikelets linear; callus square, base obtuse; principal awn from a sinus …………………………………………………..19.2. Crysopogon celebicus
19.1. Chrysopogon aciculatus L. Trin. Fund. Agrost. 188. 1820.
