Tripogon purpurascens Duthie

This is the only species in China with a short mucro from the lemma tip not exceeding 0.5 mm, lateral veins not at all extended from the apical teeth, and wingless, scabrid palea keels. It was misidentified as Tripogon abyssinicus Nees ex Steudel in Fl. Brit. India (7: 287. 1896, "1897").

The name "Tripogon hookerianus Bor" (Grasses Burma, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, 522. 1960) belongs here, but was not validly published because no type was indicated.

Taller specimens of this species with more florets in each spikelet and longer glumes and lemmas were separated by Bor as Tripogon hookeranus, but after a close study of the material at Kew and Rawalpindi no good reason for maintaining such a distinction was found. Tripogon purpurascens is a species of dry, arid habitats where it often forms thick swards.

Culms 5–35 cm tall. Basal leaf sheaths finally splitting into dense clumps of fibers; leaf blades 1–10 × 0.1–0.3 cm, adaxial surface densely scabrid-hispidulous, loosely pilose with long scattered hairs, abaxial surface glabrous. Racemes 2–10 (–17) cm, stiff, straight or slightly curved, spikelets tightly appressed to concavities in rachis, imbricate by 1/4–1/3 their length. Spikelets 4–7 mm, usually purplish; florets 2–4(–6), imbricate, rachilla mostly hidden; lower glume narrowly triangular, symmetrical, 1.5–2.5 mm, acuminate; upper glume narrowly oblong, 2.5–4.5 mm, thickened along midvein, margins broad, scarious, apex scabrid-apiculate; lemmas oblong-lanceolate, 2–3.4 mm to sinus, 2-dentate, midvein produced into a 0.2–0.5 mm mucro, teeth rounded, lateral veins not extended; palea keels wingless, scabrid. Anthers 3, 1.2–2 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Tufted perennial; culms simple, erect, slender, 9-50 cm high. Leaf-blades filiform, convolute, 5-15 cm long. Spikes 3-17 cm long, straight or somewhat curved. Spikelets 2-5(-8)-flowered, 3.5-7.5 mm long; lower glume 1-nerved, narrow, 1.5-2.5(3) mm long; upper glume 1-nerved, lanceolate, (2.2)2.6-4.5 mm long; lowest lemma (2.0-)2.4-3.6(-4.0) mm long, truncate and 2-toothed at the apex with a minute awn from between the teeth, the lateral nerves sometimes minutely excurrent; callus bearded in front.

Nepal, N.W. India.

Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Bhutan, NW India, Nepal, Pakistan; SW Asia (Saudi Arabia, Yemen)].

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); North-west India and Oman.

2300 m

Fl. & Fr. Per.: April-September.

Arid places, especially open stony mountainsides, sometimes forming a sward; 700–2400 m.

Tripogon jacquemontii Stapf var. submuticus J. D. Hooker.