Pleioblastus maculatus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 600–800 cm long; 20–40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths green and purple; distinctly mottled with last colour; hispid; hairy at the base; with reflexed hairs; truncate at apex; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders, or ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high; entire. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; scabrid. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–2 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 8.8–17 cm long; 13–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 6–12 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 25–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 4 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Ind. Jap. Bam. 2002.

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