Nava Graha Vanam

Botanical Name: Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch.
Tamil Name: Darbhai pullu
Sanskrit Name: Darbha
English Name: Sword Grass

M. Subramanian
Project Officer
C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre
Chennai

Habitat

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, spici-form, cylindrical, white silky hairy. Spike-lets 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. (https://indiabiodiversity.org and http://keralaplants.in).

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