Tetrapogon villosus

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

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  • Botanical Name : Tetrapogon villosus Desf.
  • Synonyms : Chloris villosa (Desf.) Pers.
  • Plant Family : Poaceae (Gramineae)
  • Plant Form : Grasses
  • Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Tetrapogon villosus Plant :

  • Habit : A perennial, stout grass with stems originating from a densely tufted stout woody base, clothed with equitant leaf-sheaths.
  • Leaves : Linear, acute, flat, convolute or twisted, rigid, ligule obscure.
  • Inflorescence and Flowers :
    • Spikes 1-3, erect, pale yellow.
    • Spikelets 0.3 cm long, obconic, with 4 unequal awns.
    • Glumes 5, lower involucral glume oblong-lanceolate, hyaline, upper involucral glume oblong, hyaline, 2-toothed at the tip and shortly awned, glume of the hermaphrodite floret broadly ovate or suborbicular, concave with an awn 0.6 cm or more, and broad, hyaline margins bounded by the lateral nerves, hirsute all over with long silky hairs which are much longer than the glume, the palea elliptic-obovate with ciliate margins, hyaline, the next fourth glume barren, about half as long, also hirsute, the fifth glume small, cuneate , the sixth reduced to an awn.
  • Flowering and Fruiting Time : September