Indosasa longispicata

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 1000–1500 cm long; 60 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–50 cm long; light green; distally pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths coriaceous; brown; hispid; with erect hairs; with tawny hairs; hairy on margins; auriculate; with obtuse auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs. Culm-sheath ligule ciliate. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate; erect; scabrid and pubescent. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9–12 cm long; 12–26 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; paniculate; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 12–28 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 40–100(–200) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6–8 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes several; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 15–17 mm long; 10 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 13–15 -veined. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Palea 8–12 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 4–5 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 6; 5 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Chu & Chao 1996.

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