Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Andropogon L.

Andropogon distachyos L.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Canary Islands, Medit. to Africa, Arabian Peninsula.

[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
Pappi, A. [2129], Eritrea K000280523 Unknown type material

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 of Tropical East Africa

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