Oligostachyum puberulum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; yellow; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several. Culm-sheaths setose on shoulders; shoulders with straight hairs. Leaves 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect, or spreading. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 9–19 cm long; 10–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 11–13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 60 mm long; 20–30 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous. Upper glume ovate; 9–12 mm long; chartaceous; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; 4 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 15–16 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 10 mm long; 9 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3, or several (3–5); 2.5 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4 mm long. Stigmas 2–3. Ovary glabrous, or pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Fl China 2006.

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