FoI
Cochin Grass
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Cochin Grass
ative Photo: Gurcharan Singh
Common name: Cochin Grass, Malabar Grass, East Indian lemon grass • Malayalam: ഇഞ്ചിപ്പുല്ല് inchippullu • Tamil: எலுமிச்சைப் புல் Elumichchaip pul
Botanical name: Cymbopogon flexuosus    Family: Poaceae (Grass family)

Cochin Grass is a perennial grass arising from a short stout rhizome. Stems (stems) are robust, up to 3 m tall, 1-2 cm in diameter. Leaf sheaths are hairless, ears often present. Leaves are linear, up to 1 m long, 1.5 cm wide, rough, base gradually narrowed, tip threadlike. Ligules are 2-5 mm. Flowers are borne in very large, lax, compound panicles grayish green, up to 60 cm or more, nodes bearded, branches numerous, drooping. Spatheoles are 1-2 cm; racemes 1-1.7 cm. Stalkless spikelets are narrowly elliptic-oblong, 4-4.5 x 0.8-1 mm. Lower glume flat or shallowly concave, usually slightly transversely wrinkled, sharply 2-keeled throughout, keels narrowly winged, wings 0.1 mm wide or less, obscurely 3-veined between keels; upper lemma awned; awn 0.8–1 cm. Stalked spikelets are 3.5-4 mm.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Hamdard University Herbal garden, New Delhi.
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