Pseudosasa amabilis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph; scaly. Culms 600–1300 cm long; 30–57 mm diam.; woody; 28–44 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 24–48 cm long; light green; striate. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Branch complement three. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 20–42 cm long; brown; hispid; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; hairy on margins; truncate at apex; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 10–15 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; 9–18 cm long; 8–20 mm wide. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 5–15 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–2 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–35 cm long; 15–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 14–18 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–15 fertile spikelets; bracteate at pedicel base.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 4–6 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2.5–9 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–27 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3–4 mm long; pubescent; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 9–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 10–15 mm long; 4–8 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs 3–5 mm long. Palea 5–9.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2.5 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 6–7 mm long. Filaments 9 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Camus 1996.

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