|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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 sinensis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 60–200 cm long; 3–7 mm diam. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–70 cm long; 6–20 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.
Racemes few, or numerous; 4–40; digitate; drooping, or ascending; 10–30 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–15 cm long. Rhachis tough; subterete; glabrous on surface. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4–8 mm long.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal; 1.5–6 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–7 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1.3–1.7 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. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; with membranous margins; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.8 length of spikelet; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–4.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25–0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 6–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 0.5 length of lemma.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: northwestern. North America: northeast USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: southern South America.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Koyama.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
