Kuruna densifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–250 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; purple. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths yellow; glabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect. Leaves 5–10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths puberulous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; pubescent on abaxial surface. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 3–4 cm long; 3.5–5 mm wide; stiff; dark green; concolorous. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins, or with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–15 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 2–3.5 cm long; 1 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose, or simple, or sparsely divided.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 4.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–3 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Palea 7.5–8.5 mm long. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; scabrous. Palea apex scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Sod & Ellis 1995.

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