139. GRAMINE.E. [78. Cymbopogon. 



78. CYMBOPOGON, Spreng. 



Perennial densely tufted and usually aromatic grasses with often 

 coarse leaves and frequentl}^ much compound and contracted spatheate 

 panicles. Spikes geminate, usually rather short, on a common 

 peduncle supported by a spatheole ; spatheoles variouslj^ arranged in 

 racemes and panicles, each order of branching being in its turn 

 sheathed by a more or less spathiform leaf. Joints disarticulating 

 when mature. Spikelets 2-nate, those of each pair heterogamous 

 and more or less heteromorphous except the lowest pair of one or 

 both spikes which are homogamous (male or neuter).* Joints and 

 pedicels filiform or linear with frequently more or less cupular or 

 auricled tips, those of lowest pair (base of spike) often hard and swollen. 

 Sessile spkts. (above the lowest) female or 2-sexual, dorsally com- 

 pressed, callus very short, obtuse, shortly bearded ; gl. i flat or slightly 

 depressed or deeply grooved on the back, 2-keeled, margins, at least 

 above, sharply inflexed and often winged ; ii cymbiform, usually 

 1 -nerved ; iii entire, hyaline, oblong, 2-nerved ; iv hyaline, 2-fid or 

 -lobed or firmer below the insertion of the aAvn, column of awn smooth, 

 lodicules minute, glabrous, st. 3. Grain oblong, subterete or plano- 

 convex. Ped. spkt. strongly dorsally compressed, male or neuter,. 

 gl. i never depressed or grooved ; ii thinner in texture ; iii hyaline 

 2-nerved ; iv but usually a male flower present. 



A. Back of g-1. i of sess. spkt. not reduced to a narrow channel 



between the keels, sometimes partially grooved : — 



1. Joints of spikes and pedicels of spkts. with villi '2" long half 



concealing the sessile spkts. : — 

 Panicle narrow with dense fascicles of branches. Spkts. "2" 



long- . 1. jtcarancitsa, 



2. Joints of spikes and pedicels of spkts. shortly villous or 



ciliate : — 

 Keels of gl. i of sess. spkt. winged, back flat with a partial 



median longitudinal cleft (usually below centre) . . 2. Martini. 



Keels of gl. i of sess. spkt. very narrowly winged or not, 



back flat or slightly depressed or concave without a cleft . 3. Jiardus.f 



B. Back of gl. i of sessile spkt. reduced to a narrow channel 



between the prominent keels. Panicle odourless : — 

 Tall. Panicle decompound. Channel between keels extending 



to the base .4. mici-otkeca. 



Height about 3 ft. Panicle not very compound. Base of gl. i 



with a boss extending partly between the two short forks of 



the channel 5. gidarba, 



1. C. jwarancusa, Schult. Syn. Andropogon jwarancusa, Jones. 



Usually a tall grass 3-6 ft. high with very aromatic roots, densely 

 tufted, the stems from clusters of firm persistent finally loose and open 

 and tortuous leaf-sheaths, more or less widened below. Leaves fiat 

 up to 2 ft. long and -2" broad, narrowly linear, filiform above and 

 ending in a long capillary tip, ligule -02" membranous. Panicles long 

 narrow interrupted, with very compound short fascicled branches 

 bearing spathes about 2" long and spatheoles •25—75" long. Spikes 

 about -5" but unequal ; spikelets 3-4 prs. half hidden by the -2" long 

 villi of the joints and pedicels. Sessile spkts. -2" long, gl. i flat or 



* But see remarks under C. microtheca, var. 



t Note. — /S/uyj/ splits up nardus into several separate species. 



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