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Tall grasses with stout culm and ample panicles, the branches many-jointed: spikelets small, slender, 1-fld., surrounded by long silky hairs.—Species 12, in tropical regions, mostly of the Old World. Differs from Erianthus in having awnless spikelets. The most important species is the sugar-cane, which is extensively cult. in tropical and subtropical countries for the production of sugar. Prop. by cuttings of the st. Native country unknown, but probably E. Asia. Cult. from time immemorial by cuttings, for which reason many varieties have lost the power to flower or at least to produce fertile seed. Rum is produced from the fermented molasses.
Tall grasses with stout culm and ample panicles, the branches many-jointed: spikelets small, slender, 1-fld., surrounded by long silky hairs.—Species 12, in tropical regions, mostly of the Old World. Differs from Erianthus in having awnless spikelets. The most important species is the sugar-cane, which is extensively cult. in tropical and subtropical countries for the production of sugar. Prop. by cuttings of the st. Native country unknown, but probably E. Asia. Cult. from time immemorial by cuttings, for which reason many varieties have lost the power to flower or at least to produce fertile seed. Rum is produced from the fermented molasses.
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syn. Erianthus (Greek, erion, wool, and anthos, a flower). Gramineae. Plume-grabs. Tall reed-like ornamental perennials with large woolly plume-like inflorescence.
Spikelets in pairs, one sessile, the other pedicellate, as in Andropogon, arranged in spikes, and these in a large terminal panicle, clothed with long hairs, especially around the base, the fertile lemma awned.—Species about 18, warmer regions of both hemispheres.
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