ANDKOPOGONE/E 



197 



Andropogon Wightianus, Steud. 



[Chiysopogon Wightianus, Nees.) 



This is a perennial. Stems are erect or ascending from a 

 creeping root-stock, varying in height from 2 to 3 feet. 



The leaf-sheath is flattened, softly hairy or glabrous, often 

 ciliated near the mouth. The ligule is a fringe of very short 

 hairs. 



The leaf-blade is narrowly or rarely broadly linear, obtuse or 

 acute and abruptly mucronate, or narrowly drawn into a point 

 glabrous or pubescent, margins shortly ciliate. 



The panicle is narrow, 3 to 6 inches long, peduncle smooth 

 below but thinly pubescent above, lower branches long, few in a 

 whorl ; rachis is very slender, angular, glabrous or hairy. The 

 spikes are solitary and each one consists of one sessile and two 

 pedicelled spikelets. The callus is long and densely bearded 

 with brown hairs. 



Fig. 157. — Andropogon Wightianus. 

 1. A spike; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, 

 of the sessile spikelet ; 6. lodicules, stamens and the ovary ; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first' 

 second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet. 



Sessile spikelets are bisexual, sub-cylindric about % inch long. 

 There are four glumes. The first glume is chartaceous, laterally 

 compressed, obscurely 4-nerved, glabrous below, hispid near the 

 apex, minutely 2-toothed or not at the apex, not awned or rarely 

 with a short awn. The second glume is chartaceous, distinctly 

 awned, the awn being as long as the glume or longer, hispid above 

 and at the sides also. The third glume is hyaline, linear-oblong, 

 2-nerved ciliate. The fourth glume is narrow with hyaline margins, 



