POACEAE
Perotis Aiton, Hort. Kew. 1: 85 (1789).
Diplachyrium Nees; Lopholepis Decne; Xystidium Trin.
By: Watchara Arthan & Atchara Teerawatananon
Taxon Description
Plants annual. Culm geniculately ascending to erect. Leaf blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate. Racemes solitary, multilateral, rachis internodes angular, tough. Spikelets solitary, subsessile or pedicellate, laterally compressed, disarticulating below glumes, with 1 bisexual floret, callus knob-like, subglabrous. Lower glumes lanceolate, apex obtuse or acuminate, 1-awned, chartaceous, hirsute, 1-veined, upper glumes similar to the lower glume, slightly longer, enclosing lower glume. Lemmas awnless, hyaline, glabrous. Paleas hyaline. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Stigmas 2.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide 16 species in tropical S Asia, SE Asia and Africa and subtropical regions of E Asia, Africa and Australasia. One species in Nepal.
1. Perotis indica (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 787 (1891).
Anthoxanthum indicum L., Sp. Pl. 1: 28 (1753); P. glabrata Steud.; P. hordeiformis Nees; P. patula Nees ex Hook. & Arn.; P. spicata (L.) T. Durand & H. Durand; Saccharum spicatum L.
Plants annual, tufted. Culm geniculately ascending to erect, 18–40 cm. Leaf blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 10–35 × 2–6 mm, base clasping stem, abaxial and adaxial surfaces glabrous. Ligules irregular toothed, less than 1 mm. Racemes solitary, 8–16 cm. Spikelets lanceolate, ca. 2 mm, subsessile or pedicellate, laterally compressed, pedicels ca. 0.2 mm, glabrous, callus less than 1 mm, subglabrous. Lower glumes lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm, apex obtuse or acuminate, chartaceous, hirsute, 1-veined, vein serrate, awns straight, 3–9.5 mm, upper glumes lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm, hirsute, 1-veined, vein serrate, awns straight, 2–7.5 mm. Lemmas lanceolate, less than 1 mm, apex obtuse or acuminate. Paleas less than 1 mm, hyaline. Anthers less than 1 mm. Caryopsis terete, narrowly ellipsoid, 1–1.8 mm.
Distribution: Assam-Burma, S Asia, E Asia, SE Asia and tropical Africa.
Altitude range: 200–1500 m.
Ecology: Grasslands, open areas, riversides and roadsides.
Flowering: June–October.
The caryopsis description is taken from Flora of China.