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| Synonyms: |
Andropogon connatus A. Rich. Cymbopogon excavatus (Hochst.) Stapf |
| Common names: | Broad-leaved turpentine grass (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Caespitose perennial; culms up to 200(300) cm high. Leaves smooth, sometimes purplish; ligule 0.5–2(3) mm long, minutely dentate; laminas 9–37 cm × 7–28 mm wide, amplexicaul, cordate or rounded at the base, broader below and tapering to a very fine point at the apex. Inflorescence elongated and ± interrupted, 7.5–70 cm long, reddish. Racemes 11–20 mm long; internodes and pedicels pilose with silvery-white hairs, the lowermost swollen and fused together. Sessile spikelet 3–5.5 mm long, glabrous; inferior glume with a V-shaped median groove, winged on the keels in the upper 1/2–1/3, entire or dentate at the apex; superior lemma linear, bifid to about the middle; awn delicate, 7–19.5 mm long, with a distinct column; anthers 1.4–2.6(3) mm long, straw-coloured. Pedicelled spikelet male, 3–4 mm long, longer than the sessile spikelet, glabrous. |
| Notes: | The species-group is characterized by having distinct swollen and fused lowermost internodes and pedicels. C. caesius sens. lat. (subsp. caesius and subsp. giganteus) shows great range of variation in habit and leaf size. Such characters are not fully correlated with each other and are certainly not correlated with any other character. Nevertheless, a reasonable number of specimens can be separated into those with delicate wiry culms and those with more robust culms by using lamina width. But there is a continuous range of variation in these and all other characters. The more robust plants (subsp. giganteus) are restricted to the northern, more tropical areas. Further studies are needed to ascertain whether the differences in habit between the two extremes of the range of variation are merely those of phenotypic plasticity or not. Lamina width can vary greatly in an individual and measurements should be taken of the widest leaves in a specimen. |
| Derivation of specific name: | caesius: bluish-grey |
| Habitat: | In open forest and grassland, pastures, cultivated fields and roadsides in a variety of soils |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 30 - 1400 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Sudan and Yemen southwards to southern Africa and Namibia, extending to southern India and Sri Lanka |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 12. As Cymbopogon caesius Cope, T.A. (2002). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(4) Pages 76 - 78. (Includes a picture). Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 459. as Cymbopogon caesius (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 33. As Cymbopogon excavatus Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 101. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 70 - 71. as Cymbopogon excavatus (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 133. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 27. As Cymbopogon excavatus Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 187. |
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