DESMOSTACHYA

Desmostachya (Stapf) Stapf in W.H. Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 7: 632. 1900; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 67. 1989; Chen & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 480; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 109.

Tufted perennial herbs with a stout rootstock and creeping thick stolons. Leaves long, linear or inrolled; ligule a ridge of hairs. Inflorescence a nearly pyramidal or columnar spike-like panicle. Spikelets linear, strongly laterally compressed, crowded, imbricate, secund; rachilla tough. Spikelets falling entire. Each spikelet with many florets, florets biseriate, bisexual; Glumes shorter than lemmas, unequal, membranous, 1-nerved, keeled, acute. Lemma papery to leathery, 3-nerved with lateral nerves evanescent upwards, glabrous, keeled, acute. Palea equal to or slightly shorter than lemma, 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis ovoid, trigonous.

One species

Desmostachya bipinnata

Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf, Fl. Cap. 7: 632. 1900; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 491. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 68. 1989; Chen & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 480; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 109; Briza bipinnata L., Fl. Palaest. 12. 1756; Eragrostis cynosuroides (Retz.) P. Beauv., Ess Agrostogr. 162. 1812; Leptochloa bipinnata (L.) Hochst., Flora 38: 422. 1855; Poa cynosuroides Retz., Observ. Bot. 4: 20. 1786; Uniola bipinnata Linn., Sp. Pl. 2: 104. 1762.

Coarse perennial, forming large leafy tussocks. Culms rigid, ascending from a stout, creeping rhizome, branching at base, up to 1.2 m tall and ca. 7 mm in diameter. Leaf blades linear, long acuminate, rigid, rolled or flat, 15-50 cm x 4-10 mm (when unrolled), upper surface and margin scabrid; leaf sheaths loose, glabrous; ligule a ciliolate, membranous ridge. Inflorescence a long, dense, narrowly pyramidal or columnar panicle, 15-50 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, bearing spikes; spikes ascending or spreading, crowded or spaced, ca. 2 cm long; main axis and rachis hispidulous. Spikes crowded from the base with sessile, imbricate spikelets. Spikelets secund, 2-seriate, crowded, deflexed, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 3-8 mm long, stramineous or purplish, 3-17-flowered, florets biseriate, bisexual. Glumes ovate-lanceolate, unequal, firmly membranous, shorter than lemma, 1-nerved, keeled, keel scabrid; lower glume ca. 0.7 mm long; upper longer, ca. 1.2 mm long, obtuse, mucronate. Lemmas ovate, leathery, acute, 3-nerved, keeled, ca. 2 mm long. Palea shorter than lemma, ca. 1.5 mm long, subcoriaceous keeled, keel scabrid. Stamens 3. Stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis ovoid trigonous.

Flowering and Fruiting: July to October
Common Names: Daabh; Dhab, Davoli, Durva, Dabhena (Hindi)