Family |
Poaceae
Andropogon distachyos
L.
Andropogon distachyos L.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. XVI nº 4; 1966)
Life-form & habit: Cespitose grass, 30–75 cm tall; culms erect, simple or branched at the base, with glabrous nodes.
Leaves: Sheaths rounded, glabrous or slightly hairy; ligule short, truncate, long-ciliate; blades linear, green, scabrous on the margins, upper surface variably ciliate; the uppermost leaf often forms a spathiform sheath enclosing the panicle.
Inflorescence & flowers: Panicle typically composed of two robust racemes (5–10 cm), one sessile and one naked at the base for 5–10 mm. Internodes subcuneiform, thick, glabrous on one side and long-hairy on the other. Sessile spikelets hermaphroditic (except occasionally the basal one), broadly lanceolate, pale green or purplish-washed; lower glume bicarinate, glabrous or slightly pubescent, with two short teeth; upper glume shorter, softly ciliate, bidentate with a fine awn (5–6 mm). Sterile lemma hyaline (5–6 mm). Fertile lemma with a slender geniculate awn ca. 2 cm. Pedicelled spikelets narrower, with short awns.
Phenology: Flowers from March to October.
Habitat & elevation: Found in ungrazed or lightly grazed areas.
Lebanese distribution: Coastal stations at Echelles de Tyr, Iskandérouné, Beirut and surroundings, Zouk Mikhayel, Chekka, Tripoli; lower and middle mountain zones including ‘Abey, Jamhour, ‘Aley, Kahalé, Ghazir, Deir-el-Qamar, Broummana.
Native range : Mediterranean, tropical Africa, Canary Islands, southern Europe, and West Asia