SACCHARUM

Saccharum L., Sp. Pl. 1: 54. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 28. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 453. 1884; Stapf. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 118. 1897; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 208. 1960; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 576; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 259.

Perennial with woody root stocks, medium to very tall. Culms robust, solid, up to 7 m tall. Leaves cauline; leaf blades narrowly to broadly linear, midrib usually broad, white; ligule membranous, margin ciliolate. Inflorescence terminal, a much-branched large panicle, often large, silvery, plumose, with elongated central axis, its branches bearing numerous hairy racemes. Racemes usually flexuous, rachis fragile, disarticulating at maturity, bearing paired similar spikelets, one sessile, other pedicellate; rachis internodes and pedicels filiform, pedicels resembling internodes but often shorter. Spikelets usually small, lanceolate, densely compressed, enveloped in long hairs; callus short, truncate, bearded with long silky hairs surrounding the spikelet. Spikelets 2-flowered; lower reduced to an empty lemma; upper bisexual. Glumes equal, membranous or subcoriaceous only at base; lower glume flat to broadly convex, veins indistinct, laterally 2-keeled; upper glume boat-shaped. Lower lemma (reduced lower floret) hyaline, entire, rarely with short point. Upper lemma entire or bidentate, awnless or awned. Palea (upper palea) small or suppressed. Lodicules 2. Stamens 2-3. Caryopsis subglobose to narrowly oblong.

17 species

Saccharum spontaneum

Saccharum spontaneum L., Mant. Pl. 2: 183. 1771; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 118. 1897; Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 213. 1960; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 594. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 236. 1989; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 701. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 690. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 819. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 578; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 263; Imperata spontanea (L.) P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 8. 1812.

Perennial, rhizomatous. Culms erect, robust, 1-4 m tall, solid, nodes bearded, softly pilose below panicle. Leaf blades 0.5-1.8 m x 1-2 cm, linear- filiform, tapering to midnerve at base, apex long attenuate, glaucous, glabrous, scabrid on margins; leaf sheaths up to 40 cm long, pilose at mouth and margin; ligule 2-6 mm, membranous, ciliolate. Panicles 20-40(-67) cm long, densely silky white, the peduncle and central axis softly pilose; racemes 4-16 cm long; rachis fragile, internodes and pedicels hirsute. Spikelets in pairs: one sessile, other pedicellate, both types similar in size and shape. Spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm long, lanceolate, callus truncate, hairs silky, enveloping spikelets, 3-5 times longer than spikelets. Glumes equal, 3-4 mm x 1 mm, papery and dark brown below middle at maturity, membranous and pallid above, back glabrous, margins ciliate above, apex acuminate. Spikelets 2-flowered. Upper floret barren; its lemma (lower lemma) ca. 2 mm x 1 mm, ovate-lanceolate, hyaline, entire, ciliate on the margin. Upper floret: Bisexual; its lemma (upper lemma) narrow, 2-2.5 mm long, linear-oblong, hyaline, awnless; palea very small. Lodicules ciliate. Stamens 3; anthers 1.5-2 mm long, yellow or reddish; stigmas 2, plumose.

Flowering and Fruiting: July to September
Common Names: Kaahi, Wild Sugarcane, Kans Grass, Kahi Thatch Grass; Kans (Hindi), Kaahi (Punjabi)