Chimonocalamus delicatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 600–800 cm long; 40–80 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes quadrangular (slightly); 20–30 cm long; yellow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several. Culm-sheaths deciduous; coriaceous; hispid; with tawny hairs; triangular at apex; without auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 3–4 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; 5–17 cm long; 13–25 mm wide. Leaves 4–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 8 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–16 cm long; 6–13 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 27–45 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes flattened; 4–6 mm long; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Palea 1–1.1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; membranous. Anthers 3; 6 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Fl China 2006.

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