Vetiver grass
Chrysopogon filipes, Fam. Poaceae
Perennial grass to 1m high.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Grass or grass-like plant |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Leaf: | Leaves with sheath keeled; ligule <1mm long; blade 3-6mm wide, margins scabrous. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Purple |
| Flower description: | Racemes slender, bare at the base, primary axis scabrous. Paired spikelets, except for the terminal group which is a triplet. Sessile spikelets 8-10 mm long, excluding the 3mm long callus bearded with brown hairs. Glumes similar, thickened, three to five nerved, a row of short spines down the two lateral nerves, often short-awned. Lower lemma shorter than the glumes, margins ciliate near the tip, upper lemma narrow, produced into an awn 12-36mm long, palea membranous. Pedicellate spikelet sterile, purple, awnless; glumes similar, scabrous near the apex, lemmas unawned, the upper shorter than the glumes, sometimes absent. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Brown |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Brown caryopsis with adherent pericarp, fusiform, 4mm long. |
| Habitat: | Grassland. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, New Guinea. |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, New Guinea. |
| Notes: | |
| Information sources: | PlantNET (2022) Chrysopogon filipes (Benth.) Reeder. FloraOnline., Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (2022) Chrysopogon filipes (Benth.) Reeder. Plants of the World Online. |
