(Chrysopogon monticola.)
This is a perennial grass.
The stems are usually slender, densely tufted, erect, simple, or branched, leafy especially at the base, varying in height from 1 to 3 feet.
The leaf-sheaths are sparsely hairy or glabrous, the lower somewhat compressed and the upper terete. The ligule is a short, ciliated membrane. The nodes are glabrous.
The leaf-blade is narrow, linear, acute, rigid, flat, glaucous, smooth or scaberulous, with margins scabrid and ciliated with tubercle-based hairs especially towards the base, and varying in length from 2 to 15 inches.
The inflorescence is an open panicle, ovate or oblong, varying in length from 2 to 5 inches; the rachis is slender, smooth or scaberulous, the branches are capillary, whorled and spreading, tip oblique, bearded and bearing a single sessile and two pedicellate spikelets.
Fig. 158.—Andropogon monticola.
1. Sessile and pedicellate spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6. anthers, ovary and lodicules; A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelet; A-5. lodicules of the pedicelled spikelet.
The sessile spikelets are bisexual, about 1/4 inch or less, with a long callus bearded on one side with long rusty hairs. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is chartaceous, linear, complicate, 2-toothed at the tip and with short bristles towards the apex, 4-veined. The second glume is chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, much broader than the first, ciliate with long rufous bristles on the keel, shortly toothed at the apex with an awn about 1/3 of an inch and with broadly hyaline margins. The third glume is hyaline, narrow-oblong, ciliate and obtuse. The fourth glume is narrow, oblong, hyaline with an awn nearly an inch long. There are three stamens and two lodicules. The stigmas are long and feathery.