Fargesia edulis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 500–800 cm long; 20–40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 12–40 cm long; distally mealy. Culm-nodes flush with internodes, or swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 34–45 cm long; 4–6 times as long as wide; coriaceous; pilose; hairy throughout; with dark brown hairs; hairy on margins; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 2–3 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect; 1–9 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaves 5–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 4.5–6 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking; 2–6 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 10–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 8–10 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single; 4.5–7 cm long; bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1.5–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–5 mm long; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy above.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–20 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18–25 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 18–26 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above and at base, or at base. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea 11–13 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 7–9 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Hsueh & L1 1995.

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