ANDROPOGONE/E 



201 



Andropogon earicosus, L 



This is a perennial grass more or less tufted in habit and 

 closely allied to Andropogon annulatus, Forsk. 



Stems are erect or decumbent below or ascending from a 

 creeping base, rooting at the nodes, smooth, glabrous and much 

 branched, varying in height, from I to 2 feet ; branches are short, 

 slender and sometimes even capillary, with nodes bearded or not 

 in branches ending in solitary spikes, and completely glabrous 

 when they end in binate spikes. 



The leaf-sheaths are glabrous, rather compressed, striate, shorter 

 than the internodes. Ligule is membranous, short, very finely 

 ciliolate or not. 



The leaf-blade is linear, finely acuminate, sparsely hairy, 

 sometimes with tubercle-based hairs, becoming glabrous when old 

 with scaberulous margins 2 to 8 inches by i/io to % inch, base 

 rounded mostly with a few long hairs. 



FIG. 159. - Andropogon caricosus. 

 I and 2. Front and back view of a bit of spike ; 3. a sessile ami a pedicelled 

 spikelet ; 4, 5 and 6. the first, second and the third glume, respectively, of the sessile 

 spikelet ; 7. awn representing the fourth glume ; 8. s;amens, lodicules and the ovary ; 

 9. the first glume of the pedicel le<l spikelet. 



The spikes are either binate or solitary varying in length from I 

 to 2 inches, joints and pedicels about % as long as the sessile 

 spikelets, slightly angular or fiat, ciliate along one side with white 

 hairs; peduncle is slender, pale or purple, pubescent or glabrous 

 just below the spike. 



The spikelets are about % inch, imbricate, a sessile and a stalked 

 one from the top of each joint, greenish or purple. The sessile 

 spikelet contains a bisexual flower and consists of four glumes. The 

 callus is short, and shortly hairy below. The first glume is some- 

 what chartaceous, obovate-oblong, obtuse or truncate, 7- to II- 

 nerved, margin slightly folded, keel shortly rigidly ciliate towards 

 the apex, and thinly ciliate below, dorsal surfaces sparsely hairy 



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