Fargesia spathacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–9 cm long; 8–11 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole elliptic; 2–3 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; unilateral; 3–4 cm long. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 10–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. WDC 2001.

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