Tripidium H. Scholz, Willdenowia 36: 664. 2006.

7 species

Tripidium bengalense (Retz.) H. Scholz, Willdenowia 36: 664. 2006; Saccharum bengalense Retz. Observ. Bot. 5: 16. 1789; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 211. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 235. 1989; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 689. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 817. 2006; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 284; S. munja Roxb. Fl. Ind. 1: 250. 1820; S. moonja Royle, Illustr. Bot. Himal. Mts. 416. 1840; Erianthus munja (Roxb.) Jeswiet, Arelf. Suik. Ind. Ned. -Indë 1925, No. 12: 399. 1925.

Perennial, tall up to 4 m high, erect caespitose. Leaf blades up to 1.6 m long and 10 mm wide, flat or channelled, midrib occupying the greater part of the width, glaucous, linear, tapering to an acuminate point, margin scabrid; leaf sheath striate, shortly silky at base, hairy above near mouth; ligule a membranous rim, ciliolate with dense long white hairs. Panicles 20-70 cm long, ca. 10 cm wide, densely plumose, pale cream or white, peduncle glabrous; primary branches 5-15 cm long; racemes 2-4.5 cm long, spreading, considerably shorter than the supporting branches. Rachis fragile. Internodes and pedicels hirsute with hairs up to 7 mm long. Spikelets enveloped in long hairs. Callus truncate, bearded with up to 2.5 mm long whitish or greenish hairs. Spikelets in pairs, one sessile, other pedicellate.

SESSILE SPIKELETS: 4-5 mm long, lanceolate, acute. Glumes equal, of full length of spikelet, lanceolate, subcoriaceous at base, membranous above, 2-keeled, scabrid on keel; lower glume 2-nerved, hairy on the back with hairs about twice the length of glume, acuminate; upper glume acute or finely acuminate, 3-5-nerved, glabrous, ciliate at apex. Spikelets 2-flowered. Lower floret: Reduced to lemma. Lemma (lower lemma) slightly shorter than lower glume, oblong-elliptic, hyaline, acute, 1-3-nerved. Upper floret: Bisexual. Its lemma (upper lemma) slightly shorter than lower lemma, ovate-lanceolate, finely acuminate or very shortly awned, 1-3-nerved, ciliate on margins. Palea (Upper Palea) small, 1-1.5 mm, hyaline, oblong, ciliate at apex. Lodicules cuneate. Stamens 3; anthers 2-2.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

PEDICELLED SPIKELETS: Similar in shape and size to sessile spikelets; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long, hairy; both Glumes hairy on back, hairs 4-9 mm long.

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