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CHRYSOPOGON Trin.
Plants hermaphroditic, caespitose or rhizomatous or stoloniferous, annual. Culms erect or ascending or decumbent; internodes
solid, glabrous or hairy, terete; nodes glabrous or hairy. Leaves mostly basal, not distinctly distichous; sheaths terete,
margins open; auricles absent; ligules a ciliate membrane or a line of hairs; blades flat, linear, lax, apex acuminate.
Panicles of highly reduced racemose branches, open, terminal, sheaths subtending the inflorescences not inflated and
spathe-like; primary branches long with a single node (triad) at the apex (triad - one sessile and two pedicellate spikelets),
lower branches in whorls of 2-5, spreading, not aromatic; branches scabrous to hairy at apex; pedicels not with a longitudinal
groove, hair ascending, semi-terete. Spikelets in three's (triad) at each inflorescene node , dissimilar in size and
shape, disarticulation below the glumes, dorsiventrally compressed, sessile spikelets (1) fertile, pedicellate spikelets (2)
sterile. Pedicellate spikelets staminate or sterile, awned or awnless. Sessile spikelets perfect; first glumes 0- or
2-keeled, gland-like depressions or pits not present; abaxial surface convex, smooth, coriaceous to indurate,
glabrous, awnless; second glumes length equal to first glumes; lower florets sterile or staminate, lemmas hyaline, entire,
awnless; paleas absent; upper florets perfect; lemmas hyaline, apex entire or bifid, awned (1) from apex or from sinus
of the apex; paleas present or absent, hyaline. Stamens 3; anthers yellow. Caryopses elliptical, yellow, laterally
compressed. Base chromosome number x=10.
A genus of about 26 species from tropical or subtropical areas. Our species is adapted to disturbed sites.
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