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Descriptions

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

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

Kuruna wightiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 200–300 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes semiterete; 25–35 cm long; dark green; striate; scaberulous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths 10–20 cm long; 3–4 times as long as wide; yellow; hispid; with tawny hairs; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear; 2.5–4 cm long; scabrid. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; erose. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–18 cm long; 20–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–14 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes flattened; clavate; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea 7 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; sulcate on hilar side; 2.5–5 mm long; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Gamble 1995.

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