Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Cymbopogon Spreng.

Cymbopogon mekongensis A.Camus

This species is accepted, and its native range is S. China to Indo-China.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms geniculately ascending; 25-55 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-20 cm long; 1.5-3.5 mm wide; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; linear; 8-10 cm long; lax. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole elliptic; 2.3 cm long; red; glabrous. Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 1.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on surface; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Raceme-bases flattened; unequal (the longer measured). Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; semiterete; ciliate.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; with normal internodes; sessile and pedicelled. Basal sterile spikelet pedicels free; linear. Basal sterile spikelets male; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.2 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 5 -veined; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; inserted. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; with normal internodes; sessile and pedicelled. Basal sterile spikelet pedicels free; linear. Basal sterile spikelets male; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.2 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 5 -veined; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; inserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent. Lower glume surface with V-shaped depression. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 14 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Soenarko 1993.

Native to:

China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam

Cymbopogon mekongensis A.Camus appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 26: 563 (1920)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2006). Poaceae Flora of China 22: 1-733. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2006). Poaceae Flora of China 22: 1-733. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0