Fargesia grossa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; drooping at the tip; 500–1000 cm long; 20–45 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 25–50 cm long; ridged; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud prophyll 1-keeled. Branch complement three; subtended by a bare patch above the node; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 26 cm long; 2 times as long as wide; hispid; with dark brown hairs; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with straight hairs; shoulders with 3–8 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; erect; 3.5–7 cm long; 20 mm wide; hispid. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 3–5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 15–25 mm long; truncate. Collar pilose. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4.5–18 cm long; 5–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle branches bearded in axils; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 20–30 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 30–55 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–6 mm long; pubescent and pilose; hairy all along but hairs longer above.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute; awned. Upper glume elliptic; 13–17 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute; awned.

FLORETS Fertile lemma 15–20 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; puberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Palea 10–12 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above; with 0.5 of their length adorned; with hairs 3 mm long. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 3; 9 mm long; yellow; anther tip smooth, or penicillate. Stigmas 2–3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Stapleton 1995.

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