Tripidium ravennae

Tripidium ravennae L.) H. Scholz, Willdenowia 36: 664. 2006; Saccharum ravennae (L.) Murray, Syst. Veg. 88. 1774; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 213. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 235. 1989; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 690. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 818. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 577; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 266; Andropogon ravennae L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2: 1481. 1763;Erianthus ravennae (L.) P. Beauv. Ess. Agrostogr. 14. 1812; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 121. 1897; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 456. 1921 (Reprint 1980).

Perennials forming large clumps. Culms solid, 1-3 m tall, ca. 1 cm in diameter, lower nodes bearded, glabrous below panicle. Leaf blades up to 1.3 m long and 0.5-1.5 cm broad, linear, narrowed towards base, apex filiform, glabrous, margin scabrid; lower leaf sheaths hirsute, upper leaf sheaths glabrous; ligule a narrow membranous ring with dense long white hairs. Panicle dense, plumose, 25-50 cm long, lobed, greyish, sometimes tinged pink, axis glabrous, branches much branched; racemes short, crowded with 3-4 joints; rachis fragile, internodes 2-3 mm long, silky villous. Spikelets in pairs, one sessile, other pedicellate, 3-5 mm long, enveloped by long silky hairs. Callus truncate, bearded with whitish, purplish or brownish hairs, hairs as long as spikelet.

Sessile spikelets: Oblong lanceolate. Glumes equal, membranous; lower glume ovate- lanceolate, 2-dentate, 3-nerved, 2-keeled, glabrous, sometimes with few hairs at base, scabrid on keel; upper glume lanceolate, acuminate, subaristate, 1-nerved, glabrous, scabrid on keels. Spikelets 2-flowered: lower reduced to lemma; upper bisexual. Lower lemma shorter than spikelet, lanceolate, acute, 1-nerved, glabrous; upper lemma shorter than the lower lemma, ovate-lanceolate, 3-nerved, ciliate, awned, awn almost straight, 4-8 mm long. Palea ovate-lanceolate, nerveless. Lodicules cuneate. Stamens 3; anthers ca. 2 mm long. Stigmas 2, plumose.

Pedicelled spikelets: Similar in size and shape to sessile spikelets; pedicels shorter than the spikelet, ca. 3 mm long, covered by long silky hairs; lower glume sparsely to moderately hairy on back.

Flowering and Fruiting: August to December
Common Names: Ravenna Grass, Elephant Grass, Plume Grass