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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Arundinaria gigantea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph; with peripheral air canals. Culms erect; 200–500(–800) cm long; woody. Culm-internodes similar in length; channelled; hollow. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; without auricles. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 15–25 cm long; 20–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1–3 fertile spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 40–70 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two, or several; 1–2 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.3–0.7 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 15–25 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy below. Lemma apex attenuate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Gould.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Branches with 0–1 compressed basal internodes.

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