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Andropogon amethystinus Steud | |
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Graminae Synonyms: Andropogon kilimandscharicus Pilg.; Andropogon longipes Hack.; Andropogon pratensis Hack. Common names: Andropogon |
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| Description Tussock perennial 30-100 cm high with long ± shiny leaf-sheaths keeled upwards. Leaf-blades stiff and harsh, 10-50 cm long and 1-4 mm wide, usually long attenuate to the base. Inflorescence of 2-5 terminal digitate greyish to purple racemes 4-16.5 cm long. Internodes and pedicels linear, glabrous, sessile spikelets 4-10 mm long, lower glume lanceolate ± depressed on the back, shiny and usually nerveless in the depression, glabrous to scaberulous, awn of the lemma 7-20 mm long. Pedicelled spikelet narrowly lanceolate 4.5-8 mm long, ± rounded on the back, scaberulous with a short awn 0.5-3 mm long. Habitat Upland grassland and moorland. Altitude range 2300-4000 m. Distribution Kenya; also from Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania southwards to Malawi and in Cameroon. Use Unpalatable to cattle at maturity. Similar Species Andropogon distachyos but that has silky pubescent basal leaf-sheaths. Andropogon longipes but that does not have stiff harsh leaf-blades. |
 Andropogon amethystinus |
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