Gelidocalamus stellatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 200 cm long; 8 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 25–30 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Branch complement several, or many (7–12). Culm-sheaths persistent; 12 cm long; 6 times as long as wide; glabrous; without auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear. Leaves cauline; 1 per branch. Leaf-sheaths obsolete on upper internodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 12–17 cm long; 13–22 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 12–19 cm long; 7–9 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5–7 mm long; 1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate. Upper glume lanceolate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; 2-keeled. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 1–2. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Wen 2002.

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