- Family:
- Poaceae Barnhart
- Genus:
- Andropogon L.
Andropogon distachyos L.

[GB]
- Morphology General Habit
- Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms 25-100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 7-20 cm long; 1-5 mm wide.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal. Racemes 2; paired; 4-14 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear, or clavate (slightly). Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear, or clavate (slightly); ciliate.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-11 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; awned; one glume awned; with 3-9 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 8-16 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1-2 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
- Sterile
- Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-11 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; awned; one glume awned; with 3-9 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.
- Fertile
- Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 8-16 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1-2 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
- Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; asymmetrical; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous, or coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged broadly; winged above (0.5-0.66 length). Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 7-11 in number. Lower glume surface convex, or flat, or concave; glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; caudate. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4-10 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
- Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 15-30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
- Distribution
- Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China. Australasia: Australia.
- Reference
- Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[FWTA]
Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972
- Morphology General Habit
- Perennial, 30–75 cm high.
[FTEA]
Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974
- Morphology General Habit
- Tufted perennial, the basal sheaths silky pubescent below; culms 25–100 cm. high.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blades 7–20 cm. long, 1–5 mm. wide.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Racemes paired, terminal, 4–14 cm. long; internodes and pedicels stoutly linear to slightly clavate, ciliate, ± cupuliform at the tip.
- Sessile
- Sessile spikelet 8–16 mm. long, including a large oblong callus 1–2 mm. long; lower glume lanceolate, slightly convex to slightly concave on the back, herbaceous to thinly coriaceous, evenly 7–11-nerved between the lateral keels, glabrous to pubescent, winged on the keels for 1/2–2/3 of their length, the wings membranous and confluent to a caudate asymmetrically bidentate tip; upper glume with an awn 4–10 mm. long; upper lemma bilobed to the middle, with an awn 1.5–3 cm. long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, 6–11 mm. long, herbaceous, bidentate, with a slender bristle 3–9 mm. long. Sessile spikelet 8–16 mm. long, including a large oblong callus 1–2 mm. long; lower glume lanceolate, slightly convex to slightly concave on the back, herbaceous to thinly coriaceous, evenly 7–11-nerved between the lateral keels, glabrous to pubescent, winged on the keels for 1/2–2/3 of their length, the wings membranous and confluent to a caudate asymmetrically bidentate tip; upper glume with an awn 4–10 mm. long; upper lemma bilobed to the middle, with an awn 1.5–3 cm. long.
- Pedicelled
- Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, 6–11 mm. long, herbaceous, bidentate, with a slender bristle 3–9 mm. long.
- Figures
- Fig. 180/1, p. 769.
- Habitat
- Dry slopes in mountain grassland; 1700–3000 m.
- Distribution
- K3 K4 K6 T2 T3 T7 U1 shores of the Mediterranean and Arabia
[FZ]
Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002
- Morphology General Habit
- Slightly decumbent caespitose perennial; culms c. 90 cm high, unbranched.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf sheaths glabrous; ligule a very short (c. 1 mm) minutely fringed membrane; laminas 7–24 cm × 2–9 mm, loosely pilose, flat, tapering to a fine point at the apex.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Racemes in terminal pairs, 6–6.5 cm long (up to 10.5 cm outside the Flora Zambesiaca area), cylindrical, clearly exserted from the spatheoles only at maturity; peduncles longer than the racemes; internodes and pedicels slightly clavate, ciliate with hairs up to 3.5 mm long on one margin and a few short hairs on the other (particularly noticeable on the internodes).
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Spikelets similar; inferior glumes asymmetrically beaked, with two broad (0.5 mm) marginal wings, pubescent; superior glumes awned. Pedicelled spikelet male, 9–9.5 mm long; inferior glume with an awn c. 6 mm long; superior glume with an awn c. 2 mm long; superior lemma bidentate at the apex. Sessile spikelet 11–12 mm long, obtuse at the base, inserted in the internode apex; inferior glume with a shallow median groove, asymmetrically winged, 2-toothed at the apex; superior glume ± flat on the back and with an awn 6–7 mm long; superior lemma bifid in the upper 2/3; awn 23–26 mm long, geniculate; anthers 2.5–3 mm long, straw-coloured.
- Sessile
- Sessile spikelet 11–12 mm long, obtuse at the base, inserted in the internode apex; inferior glume with a shallow median groove, asymmetrically winged, 2-toothed at the apex; superior glume ± flat on the back and with an awn 6–7 mm long; superior lemma bifid in the upper 2/3; awn 23–26 mm long, geniculate; anthers 2.5–3 mm long, straw-coloured.
- Pedicelled
- Pedicelled spikelet male, 9–9.5 mm long; inferior glume with an awn c. 6 mm long; superior glume with an awn c. 2 mm long; superior lemma bidentate at the apex.
Native to:
Albania, Algeria, Cameroon, Canary Is., Chad, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Free State, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Kriti, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Morocco, Northern Provinces, Oman, Palestine, Rwanda, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Introduced into:
Thailand
Andropogon distachyos L. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pappi, A. [2129], Eritrea | K000280523 | Unknown type material | Yes |
First published in Sp. Pl.: 1046 (1753)
Accepted by
- Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
- Clayton, W.D. & Renvoize, S.A. (1982). Gramineae Flora of Tropical East Africa 3: 451-898.
- Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Cope, T.A. (2002). Flora Zambesiaca 10(4): 1-190. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Cope, T.A., Knees, S.G. & Miller, A.G. (2007). Flora of the Arabian peninsula and Socotra 5(1): 1-387. Edinburgh University Press.
- Danin, A. (2004). Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina area: 1-517. The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem.
- Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1985). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 9: 1-724. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
- Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
- Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
- Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1972). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3(2): 277-574.
- Meikle, R.D. (1985). Flora of Cyprus 2: 833-1970. The Bentham-Moxon Trust Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.
- Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
- Wood, J.R.I. (1997). A Handbook of the Yemen Flora: 1-434. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Literature
Flora of West Tropical Africa
- F.T.A. 9: 218.
- Sp. Pl. 1046 (1753)
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
- Clayton, W.D. & Renvoize, S.A. (1982). Gramineae Flora of Tropical East Africa 3: 451-898.
- Cope, T.A. (2002). Flora Zambesiaca 10(4): 1-190. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Cope, T.A., Knees, S.G. & Miller, A.G. (2007). Flora of the Arabian peninsula and Socotra 5(1): 1-387. Edinburgh University Press.
- Danin, A. (2004). Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina area: 1-517. The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem.
- Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1985). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 9: 1-724. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
- Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
- Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Hassler, M. (2012). Flora of Rhodes. Systematic list of flora of Rhodes http://www.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/~db111/flora/rhodos/list.php.
- Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
- Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1972). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3(2): 277-574.
- Meikle, R.D. (1985). Flora of Cyprus 2: 833-1970. The Bentham-Moxon Trust Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Quézel, P. (1958). Mission Botanique au Tibesti: 1-357. Université d'Alger.
- Robyns, W. (1929). Flore Agrostologique du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi 1: 1-229. Goemaere, Bruxelles.
- Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- A.V. Bogdan, A Revised List of Kenya Grasses p. 58 (1958).
- Clayton in Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3: 485 (1972).
- D.M. Napper, Grasses of Tanganyika: 103 (1965).
- F. W. Andr., The Flowering Plants of the Sudan 3: 388 (1956).
- K.W. Harker & D.M. Napper, An Illustrated Guide to the Grasses of Uganda p. 15 (1960).
- L., Sp. Pl.: 1046 (1753).
- Robyns, Fl. Agrost. Congo Belge 1: 130 (1929).
- Robyns, Flore des Spermatophytes du Parc National Albert 3: 55 (1955).
- Stapf in Flora of Tropical Africa 9: 218 (1919).
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Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
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Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
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Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of West Tropical Africa
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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
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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
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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