Saccharum officinarum L.
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Description
Saccharum officinarum is a large perennial grass, usually 2–5 m tall, with thick erect cane-like stems. Culms are cylindrical, solid, and divided into prominent nodes and internodes. Each node produces a leaf sheath and adventitious roots. Leaves are very long, linear, and sword-shaped, usually 50–200 cm long and 3–8 cm wide. Leaf blades are coarse, flat, and often rough along the margins. Leaf sheaths are large and overlapping, forming a protective covering around the stem. The inflorescence is a large terminal feathery panicle, commonly called the "arrow", produced under favourable conditions. Spikelets are paired and surrounded by silky hairs. Flowers are small, bisexual, and wind-pollinated. The fruit is a small caryopsis, although cultivated varieties rarely produce viable seeds.
Diagnostic Characters
Distribution
In Pakistan: Cultivated worldwide Pakistan, India, Brazil, China, Southeast Asia. Major crop in Pakistan.
Phenology
Ethnobotany & Uses
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Taxonomic Notes
Saccharum belongs to tribe Andropogoneae.