Oligostachyum wuyishanicum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms 300–500 cm long; 7–11 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; distally mealy. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous; coriaceous; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 2–5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; spreading, or reflexed. Leaves 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 10–16 cm long; 11–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–12 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 4–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–35 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–7 mm long; chartaceous; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; chartaceous; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 8–9 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3–5. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. You & Huang 2002.

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