Cinna arundinacea

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Butt sheaths herbaceous; not bulbous, or thickened and forming a bulb. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; elliptic; dense; nodding; 15–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 0.5 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; hyaline; 1 -veined; 1-keeled. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 0.1 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 1; 1.2–1.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Endosperm liquid.

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

NOTES Aveneae. WDC.

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