Schizachyrium malacostachyum (J. Presl) Nash

Schizachyrium malacostachyum (J. Presl) Nash
Andropogon malacostachyus J. Presl, in Presl, Rel. Haenk. 1 : 337, 1830. Sorgum malacostachyum Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 792. 1891.
Stems erect, up to 2.5 dm. tall, glabrous, branching, the branches short, simple, single or
in pairs; leaf-blades up to 5 cm. long, 3-4 mm. wide, glabrous, smooth, except on the margins
and keel; spike-like racemes 3-4 cm. long, of 8-12 internodes, so densely clothed with long white
hairs that the spikelets are almost concealed, often entirely enveloped by the brown spathe,
the internodes shorter than the sessile spikelets, with the margins and back densely clothed with
long white hairs, except on the lower third, the pedicels shorter than the sessile spikelets;
sessile spikelet about 5 mm. long, linear-oblong, the first scale white-villous on the back, the
margins broadly infolded, obscurely 2-nerved in addition to the keels, the second scale 1 -nerved,
the fourth scale 2-cleft almost to the base, the awn about 1.5 cm. long, the column deep-brown,
shortly exserted, about one third shorter than the subula which is somewhat contorted at the
brownish base; pedicellate spikelet of 1 scale, 2-2.5 mm. long, lanceolate-subulate, bearing
an awn about 5 mm. long.
Type locality : Acapulco, Guerrero. Distribution : Guerrero to Costa Rica.