Gaoligongshania megalothyrsa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200 cm long; 4 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Branch complement one; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; auriculate; with 9 mm wide auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; spreading; 4 cm long. Leaves cauline; 5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 10 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10 mm long; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–1 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 30–57 mm wide; light green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation with 18 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; globose; effuse; 40 cm long; 40 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–40 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 20–40 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus pubescent. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 18 mm long; 3 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Hand.-Mazz. 2002.

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