Saccharum formosanum

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 90–150 cm long; 2.5–4 mm diam. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades tapering towards tip and sheath; 35–90 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle pilose above.

Panicle open; ovate; dense; 12–15 cm long; 6–9 cm wide. Panicle axis with lower internodes 4–7 cm long.

Racemes flexuous; 6–13 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; hirsute on surface. Rhachis hairs 5–6 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2.5–3 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels linear; 2.5–3 mm long; villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs 3 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes similar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; 4 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; hirsute. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous (sessile), or hirsute (pedicelled). Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; hyaline; pilose; hairy at apex; obtuse. Fertile lemma linear, or lanceolate; hyaline; 1 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea lanceolate; 1 mm long; hyaline. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins; hairy above.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FL JAPAN 1999.

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