Andropogon

Andropogon is a genus of plants in the Poaceae family. It is native to the eastern United States and South America.

Description

They are perennial, tussock plants. Leaves with membranous ligule, short, ciliated at the base. Inflorescence composed of 2 digitically arranged racemes. Spikelets geminate, articulated below the glumes, slightly compressed dorsiventrally, unequal; the lower one of each seated couple, with 1 lower flower reduced to the lemma and another hermaphrodite upper one; the upper one pedunculated, with 1 lower flower reduced to the lemma and another upper male one. glumes longer than flowers; the lower one with 7-11 nerves and 2 keels; the upper trinervate. Hermaphroditic flower lemma with 1 long, geniculate terminal awn; that of the male flowers with 1 short terminal awn. Palea very reduced. glabrous lodicules. Androecium with 3 stamens. Caryopsis with embryo from c. 2/5 of its length.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Charles Linnaeus and published in Species Plantarum 2: 1045. 1753. The type species is: Andropogon distachyos

Etymology

The generic name comes from the Greek aner andr-(man) and pogon (beard), alluding to the hairs on the pedicels of the male sterile spikelets.

Species