Poaceae
Chrysopogon

Chrysopogon nigritanus (Benth.) Veldkamp

First published in Austrobaileya 5: 526 (1999)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a perennial.

Descriptions

Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial; culms 150–300 cm high, unbranched, the uppermost nodes exposed, glabrous; ligule scarious with shortly ciliate margin or a line of hairs on an extremely short scarious rim; leaf laminas up to 90 cm × 7 mm, narrow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 15–40 cm long, lanceolate; main axis minutely ciliolate; whorls 8–10 each with up to 15 racemes; racemes very slender; rhachis internodes longer than the spikelets, glabrous; pedicels shorter than the sessile spikelets, glabrous.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet c. 7 mm long, narrowly linear-lanceolate; inferior glume coriaceous, spinulose on the back; superior glume coriaceous to chartaceous, sharply keeled in the middle and with inflexed margins, spinulose along the keel, drawn out into a shortly aristate tip; inferior floret with ovate hyaline lemma; superior floret bisexual, the lemma hyaline with a bilobed apex; awn c. 5 mm long, sometimes slightly exserted from the glumes, glabrous on the column, minutely scabrid on the bristle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet neuter, shorter than the sessile; glumes similar to those of the sessile spikelet but less coriaceous and less spinulose; inferior glume c. 5 mm long, sparingly aculeolate along the keel towards the apex or almost smooth; superior glume smooth with flexible ciliate margins; inferior lemma hyaline with ciliate margins. Sessile spikelet c. 7 mm long, narrowly linear-lanceolate; inferior glume coriaceous, spinulose on the back; superior glume coriaceous to chartaceous, sharply keeled in the middle and with inflexed margins, spinulose along the keel, drawn out into a shortly aristate tip; inferior floret with ovate hyaline lemma; superior floret bisexual, the lemma hyaline with a bilobed apex; awn c. 5 mm long, sometimes slightly exserted from the glumes, glabrous on the column, minutely scabrid on the bristle.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet neuter, shorter than the sessile; glumes similar to those of the sessile spikelet but less coriaceous and less spinulose; inferior glume c. 5 mm long, sparingly aculeolate along the keel towards the apex or almost smooth; superior glume smooth with flexible ciliate margins; inferior lemma hyaline with ciliate margins.
[FZ]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Roots aromatic. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations intravaginal; flabellate. Culms erect; 150-300 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 30-90 cm long; 4-7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; lanceolate; 15-40 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; simple. Racemes 5-15 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Raceme-bases filiform; pubescent; hairy at tip. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear; dorsally compressed; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; scabrous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 4.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white; 0.15 length of spikelet.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear; dorsally compressed; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; scabrous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 4.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white; 0.15 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface spinose; rough generally. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein spinulose. Upper glume muticous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma oblong; 2-3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; flexuous; 2-12 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet. Palea 0.3-0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[GB]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136661306/136661351

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Robust perennial 1·2–2·4 m. high, growing in clumps
Ecology
Stream sides and swampy flood plains.
[FWTA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial; culms 1.5–3 m. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades narrow, up to 90 cm. long and 7 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle lanceolate, 15–40 cm. long, its longest raceme 5–15 cm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet 4.5–7 mm. long, including the bearded (hairs 0.5–1 mm.) callus which is rounded to fit the slightly hollowed tip of the internode; lower glume spinulose; upper glume awnless; upper lemma with a straight or curved awn l–4(–9) mm. long, usually protruding from the glumes but sometimes enclosed by them.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 4.5–7 mm. long, including the bearded (hairs 0.5–1 mm.) callus which is rounded to fit the slightly hollowed tip of the internode; lower glume spinulose; upper glume awnless; upper lemma with a straight or curved awn l–4(–9) mm. long, usually protruding from the glumes but sometimes enclosed by them.
Figures
Fig. 172.
Habitat
Flood plains and other seasonally flooded places; 0–1100 m.
Distribution
tropical Africa, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with sporadic records from Malaysia and the Philippines T4 T6 T8
[FTEA]

Common Names

English
Vetiver grass

Sources

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

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    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

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    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

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    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/