GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Miscanthus oligostachyus

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms erect; 80–180 cm long; 2–3 mm diam.; 4–6 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–60 cm long; 6–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–12; digitate; 7–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1.5–2.5 cm long. Rhachis tough; subterete; puberulous on surface. Rhachis internodes filiform; 8–11 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal; 1.5–6 mm long; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; 1.8–2.2 mm wide; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 0.5–1.3 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; pilose. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 0.9 length of spikelet; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–7 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea linear; 0.2–0.4 length of lemma.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Koyama.

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