Pleioblastus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent (1), or short (1), or elongated (32); leptomorph (32/33), or pachymorph (1/33). Culms erect (24/24), or arching (1/24); slender (1/1); 20–326.2–800 cm long; woody; without nodal roots (1/1), or with aerial roots from the nodes (1/1). Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes flush with internodes (2/10), or swollen (8/10); with distinct supra-nodal ridge (4/4). Lateral branches lacking (3), or sparse (3), or suffrutescent (2), or dendroid (29). Branch complement one (3/19), or two (3/19), or three (8/19), or several (11/19), or many (1/19); with subequal branches (2/3), or 1 branch dominant (1/3); thinner than stem (3/3). Culm-sheaths persistent (6/14), or tardily deciduous (3/14), or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle (1/14), or deciduous (4/14); without auricles (15/24), or auriculate (10/24). Culm-sheath blade linear (10/23), or lanceolate (14/23), or ovate (1/23), or triangular (3/23); narrower than sheath (1/1). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (27), or erect (4), or falcate (6). Ligule an eciliate membrane (27/32), or a ciliolate membrane (16/32), or a ciliate membrane (1/32). Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades persistent (22), or deciduous at the ligule (12); linear (4), or lanceolate (32), or elliptic (3), or ovate (1); herbaceous (30), or chartaceous (1), or coriaceous (3). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (23), or with distinct cross veins (11).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple (13/16), or compound (3/16); fasciculate (2/2). Inflorescence a panicle (2/16), or composed of racemes (2/16), or comprising only a few spikelets (12/16); terminal (13/16), or terminal and axillary (3/16); subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath (13/16), or a spatheole (3/16); exserted (12/16), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (4/16). Spatheole lanceolate (1/1).

Panicle open (2/2).

Racemes single (2/2); bearing few fertile spikelets (1/2), or many spikelets (1/2); bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each (1/2), or 3–4 fertile spikelets on each (2/2), or 5–10 fertile spikelets on each (1/2).

Spikelets solitary (16/16). Fertile spikelets pedicelled (16/16).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex (16/16). Spikelets linear (14/16), or lanceolate (1/16), or oblong (2/16); laterally compressed (16/16); 24.9–48.57–110 mm long; breaking up at maturity (16/16); disarticulating below each fertile floret (16/16). Rhachilla internodes definite (16/16); glabrous (10/16), or pubescent (5/16), or pilose (1/16).

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure (3/16), or one to two the lower present in some spikelets (1/16), or two (10/16), or several (4/16); persistent (16/16); shorter than spikelet (15/15). Lower glume linear (1/12), or lanceolate (9/12), or ovate (3/12); chartaceous (11/11); without keels (11/11); 0 -veined (1/4), or 3 -veined (1/4), or 5 -veined (1/4), or 7 -veined (1/4). Lower glume lateral veins absent (1/14), or distinct (13/14). Lower glume surface without pits (14/14). Lower glume apex acute (8/10), or acuminate (1/10), or attenuate (1/10). Upper glume lanceolate (10/13), or ovate (5/13); chartaceous (13/13); without keels (12/12); 5 -veined (2/6), or 6 -veined (1/6), or 7 -veined (3/6), or 9 -veined (1/6), or 11 -veined (1/6). Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins (1/1). Upper glume apex acute (8/12), or acuminate (3/12), or attenuate (1/12).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (3/16), or elliptic (3/16), or ovate (11/16); chartaceous (16/16); without keel (15/15); wingless (16/16); 5–10–15 -veined. Lemma surface unwrinkled (16/16); without grooves (16/16). Lemma margins eciliate (16/16), or ciliolate (1/16). Lemma apex acute (3/15), or acuminate (12/15); muticous (16/16), or mucronate (1/16). Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined (2/6), or 8 -veined (2/6), or 9–14 -veined (1/6). Palea keels eciliate (8/16), or ciliolate (2/16), or ciliate (6/16). Palea surface glabrous (13/16), or pubescent (3/16). Palea apex muticous (14/16), or with excurrent keel veins (2/16). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (16/16).

FLOWER Lodicules 3 (16/16); glabrous (9/16), or ciliate (7/16). Anthers 3 (16/16). Stigmas 2 (1/16), or 3 (16/16). Ovary glabrous (2/2).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (15/15); fusiform (1/1); apex unappendaged (15/15).

DISTRIBUTION Europe (1), or Temperate Asia (33), or Tropical Asia (2), or Australasia (4), or Pacific (1).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.