Kuruna walkeriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 100–200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; yellow, or green; pilose; hairy at the base; hairy on margins; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 3–5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–1 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate; spreading; 2–3 cm long; 5 mm wide; acute. Leaves 10–20 per branch. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3–4 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blade base cordate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.25 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; elliptic; 5–15 cm long; 10–50 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; obovate; 20–30 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–17 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 14–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent; hairy above.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 5.8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 6.5 mm long; 0.2–0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5–7.3 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels winged. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back; hairy above. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.4 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5 mm long; orange. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; sulcate on hilar side; 5 mm long; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. 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.