941

Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch

Synonym	:	Imperata cylindrica var. africana (Andersson) C.E.Hubb.
Family	:	Poaceae
Local name	:	Malayalam- Darbhapullu English -  Sword Grass,
Flowering and fruiting period	:	March-July
Distribution	:	Paleotropics
Distribution in kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Grasslands, banks of backwaters, forest clearings and fallow fields
Uses	:	can be used in construction and as a fibre and as an ornamental. Young inflorescences and shoots may be eaten cooked, and the roots contain starch and sugars and are therefore easy to chew.
Key Botanical Characters  :  Perennials. Culms 40-120 cm high, rhizomatous; nodes bearded. Leaves 12-50 x 0.5-1.2 cm, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, base narrowed, mostly basal, glaucous; sheaths overlapping, to 8 cm long; ligule ovate, membranous. Panicles 4-18 cm long, spiciform, cylindrical, white silky hairy. Spikelets 2.5-4 mm long, lanceolate, similar, pedicelled, enveloped in long silky hairs. Lower glume 2-3 x 1 mm, lanceolate, long-pilose without. Upper glume similar. Lower floret empty. Upper floret bisexual. First lemma 1.5-2 x 1 mm, oblong-lanceolate, hyaline, apex ciliate. Second lemma 1-1.5 x 1 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, hyaline. Palea 0.5-1 mm long, obovate. Stamens 2; anthers c. 3 mm long, orange-yellow. Ovary oblong; stigmas 2-3 mm long.