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Chloris barbata

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

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  • Botanical Name : Chloris barbata Sw.

  • Chlorisis derived from chloros which means green and barbata means bearded referring to the lower floral glume.

  • Synonyms : Chloris longifolia Steud., Andropogon barbatus L.
  • Common Name : Mindadiu, Shiyad Punch
  • Plant Family : Poaceae (Gramineae)

  • According to the Rules of ICBN the names of the families should end in -aceae. Thus the new name for the family Gramineae became Poaceae. However, the name Gramineae is also exempted and conserved under 'Nomina Conservanda' because of their constant use for a long time.

  • Plant Form : Grasses
  • Occurrence (Sectors) : 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11-19, 21, 22, 26, 27
  • Occurrence (Special Areas) : Gujarat Forestry Research Foundation, Indroda Park, Ayurvedic Udyan, Punit Van, Sarita Udyan, Van Chetana Kendra, Basan, Aranya Van

About Chloris barbata Plant :

  • Habit : Aperennialherb with a creeping base.
  • Stem : Tufted, with strong root-fibres, rather stout, 60-90 cm. high, geniculately ascending, branching upwards, leafy, quite smooth; lower internodes 5-7.5 cm long, as thick as a crow-quill, shining; upper very long, slender; nodes often bearing equitant tufts of leaves.
  • Leaves : 15-45 cm. long, narrowly linear, flat or folded, finely acuminate; sheaths smooth, the lower open; ligule a very narrow membrane.
  • Inflorescence : Spikes 5-20, digitately arranged in a truncate fascicle, 1.3-10 cm long, on a slender peduncle, often purplish on drying pale-straw.
  • Flowers : Spikelets 2.5 mm long (excluding the awns), green or purple, 3-awned; rachilla produced, but not beyond the fertile glume bearing 2 small turgid obovateawned barren glumes 1.6 mm long, the awns 3.2-4 mm long.Involucral glumes hyaline, lanceolate, acute (not awned); lower 1.6 mm long; upper 2.5 mm long; floral glume of hermaphrodite floret 2.5 mm long, broadly elliptic, shortly apiculate, with a slender awn 3.2-4 mm long and with densely bearded margins above the middle; palea nearly as long as the glume, oblanceolate.
  • Flowering and Fruiting Time : July - April
  • Significance : Cattle are known to eat it.