Fargesia hsuehiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 300–700 cm long; 10–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 18–25 cm long; ridged; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 15–27 cm long; 4–5 times as long as wide; coriaceous; hispid; with dark brown hairs; without auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 0.7 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; deciduous; reflexed; 2–4 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaves 4–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 2.8–4.2 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 3–10 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.2 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–14 cm long; 7–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–8 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins serrulate.

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

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 4.5–7.5 cm long; bearing 5–11 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis pilose on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–6 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 25–34 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes flattened; 2.5–5 mm long; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18–23 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 17–27 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy at base. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea 9–16 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea keels pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.5–6 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; sulcate on hilar side; 9–10 mm long; dark brown.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Hsueh & L1 1995.

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