Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty

First published in Bull. Inst. Fondam. Afrique Noire, Sér. A, Sci. Nat. 22: 106 (1960)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. India to Indo-China. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food.

Descriptions

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]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
mandrágora, vetiver
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2000 m.; Andes, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial up to 200 cm high or more; culms erect, the nodes all concealed within the leaf sheaths; ligule a scarious rim; leaf laminas up to 90 cm × 4–20 mm, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle up to 30 cm long or more, oblong, contracted; main axis smooth and glabrous; whorls 6–10 each with up to 20 racemes; racemes very slender; rhachis internodes as long as or slightly longer than the spikelets, glabrous; pedicels shorter than the sessile spikelets, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet linear-lanceolate, variable in colour (yellowish, olive, violet-brown, purplish); callus up to 1 mm long, obtuse, glabrous; inferior glume muricate on the back; superior glume spinulose on the keel; inferior lemma as long as the glumes, acute, retrorsely ciliate; superior floret bisexual, the lemma up to 3 mm long, narrow, oblong-lanceolate, mucronate, glabrous; anthers 2–3 mm long. Pedicelled spikelet sparingly aculeolate or almost smooth, male; inferior lemma as for the sessile spikelet; superior lemma acute, entire; anthers c. 2.5 mm long.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet linear-lanceolate, variable in colour (yellowish, olive, violet-brown, purplish); callus up to 1 mm long, obtuse, glabrous; inferior glume muricate on the back; superior glume spinulose on the keel; inferior lemma as long as the glumes, acute, retrorsely ciliate; superior floret bisexual, the lemma up to 3 mm long, narrow, oblong-lanceolate, mucronate, glabrous; anthers 2–3 mm long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet sparingly aculeolate or almost smooth, male; inferior lemma as for the sessile spikelet; superior lemma acute, entire; anthers c. 2.5 mm long.
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 0–2000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Cundinamarca, Tolima.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

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 30-100 cm long; 4-10 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 4-8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Raceme-bases filiform; glabrous. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear; dorsally compressed; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; smooth, or scaberulous; 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 linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 3.5-5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; glabrous; base obtuse; inserted. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear; dorsally compressed; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; smooth, or scaberulous; 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; 3.5-5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; glabrous; base obtuse; inserted.
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, or on flanks. 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 entire; muticous. Palea 0.3-0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, southern tropical, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and northwestern. North America: southeast USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTA.
[GB]

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

Note
Cultivated for its aromatic roots, and sometimes maintained as an ornamental.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • '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/
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © 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 2025. 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
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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