Sorghum controversum (Steud.) Snowden
MG072 : Sorghum controversum (Steud.)
| Plant Category | : | Grasses |
| Melghat's Flora's Serial No. | : | 635 |
| Synonym | : | Andropogon controversus Steud.; |
| Plant Common Name | : | Jondhali, K- Baba Zara, Podar Zara |
| Plant Family | : | Poaceae / Gramineae |
| Description | : | Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 50-200 cm long; 3-10 mm diam. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths 7-15 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 25-60 cm long; 8-22 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; 15-30 cm long; 5-15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3-4 -nate; whorled at lower nodes; 5-16 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; pubescent in axils. Racemes 0.8-2.2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2-5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white, or tawny; 0.7-1 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2-4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; flattened; 2-4 mm long; ciliate. Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; 15-30 cm long; 5-15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3-4 -nate; whorled at lower nodes; 5-16 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; pubescent in axils. Racemes 0.8-2.2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2-5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white, or tawny; 0.7-1 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2-4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; flattened; 2-4 mm long; ciliate. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-6.25 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7-9 -veined; pubescent; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 5-6.2 mm long; 1.5-2.7 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse. Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 9-11 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex emarginate, or acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume margins scaberulous; ciliolate. Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4.5-4.7 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 3-4 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25-0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10-14 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea lanceolate; 2.5-3 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lodicules 2; oblong; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3-3.75 mm long. Stigmas 2. |
| Plant Location in Melghat | : | Along stream and river banks, also on hill slopes forming clumps in forest undergrowth |
| Medicinal Use / Activity | : | |
| Plant's Phytochemicals | : | COMPOUNDS: ACTIVE COMPOUNDS (0): |
| Plant's Current Status | : | - |
| Plant's Cross Database Reference | : | 259142 |
| Reference | : | Dhore M. A. (1984) The flora of melghat tiger reserve
- http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:422107-1#descriptions |
| Reference | : | ~ Dhore MA and Joshi PA; "Flora of Melghat Tiger Reserve"; Directorate, Project Tiger, Melghat (1988); PMID : |
| Kingdom | : Plantae - Plants |
|---|---|
| Phylum | : Tracheophyta |
| Subkingdom | : Tracheobionta - Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | : Spermatophyta - Seed plants |
| Division | : Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class | : Liliopsida - Monocotyledons |
| Subclass | : |
| Order | : Poales |
| Family | : Poaceae / Gramineae - Grass family |
| Genus | : Sorghum |
| Species | : Sorghum controversum (Steud.) Snowden |