Enneapogon persicus Boiss.

Enneapogon persicus has noticeably larger spikelets than Enneapogon schimperanus, but the two species merge almost completely and the only reasonably clear division between them lies in the length of the fertile floret. Enneapogon schimperanus is predominantly an African species, whereas Enneapogon persicus is Asian, but the species are sympatric in Egypt, Arabia and Pakistan. It is thus arguable whether Enneapogon schimperanus should not be reduced to the rank of subspecies, but for the time being both species are retained.

Enneapogon persicus is a desert species, noted as a useful pasture and fodder plant in parts of Iraq.

Perennial. Culms compactly tufted, wiry, erect or geniculate, 15–45 cm tall, pubescent especially below nodes. Basal leaf sheaths tough, lacking cleistogamous spikelets, not becoming fibrous; leaf blades usually involute, rarely flat, often diverging at a wide angle from the culm, 3–17 cm, 3–4 mm wide, pubescent, acuminate. Panicle olive-gray or tinged purplish, contracted to spikelike, narrowly oblong, 4–18 × 1–2 cm. Spikelets with 3 or 4 florets, 8–14 mm; glumes puberulous, (5–) 7–9-veined, lower glume 5–10 mm, upper glume 7–11 mm; lowest lemma 2–3.2 mm, shortly villous; awns 4.5–7 mm, unequal with 4 shorter, ciliate in lower 2/3–3/4 of their length; third lemma sterile but well developed, 3–5 mm (including awns); fourth lemma vestigial or absent. Anthers 0.5–1.3 mm. Fl. May. 2n = 20.

Tufted wiry perennial, 10-50 cm high. Leaf-blades involute, rarely flat and then up to 4 mm wide, 3-18 cm long. Inflorescence a contracted panicle up to 18 cm long. Spikelets 3- rarely 4-flowered; glumes sparsely hairy, the lower 5.5-10 mm long, 6-8-nerved, the upper 7-11.5 mm long, 6-8-nerved; fertile lemma, including awns, 10-13 mm long; uppermost floret 5-10 mm long; anthers 0.5-1.4 mm long.

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.F.P., Gilgit & Kashmir); Egypt and Arabia northwards to Turkmenistan and eastwards to India.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: May-June.

Dry, stony or sandy soils. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, NW India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; NE Africa, SW Asia].

Enneapogon schimperianus (A. Richard) Renvoize; Pap-pophorum aucheri Jaubert & Spach; P. persicum (Boissier) Steudel; P. schimperianum Hochstetter ex A. Richard; P. tur-comanicum Trautvetter.

Enneapogon elegans is a species of plant in the grass family. It is found in Burma and Tamil Nadu, India.

Enneapogon persicus là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Hòa thảo. Loài này được Boiss. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1844.