Indosasa crassiflora

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 300 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one to three; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; chartaceous. Leaf-sheaths deciduous; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–25 cm long; 20–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–16 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; paniculate; 1–21 cm long; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 50–90 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6–8 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–13 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Arundinarieae. McClure 1996.

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