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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Saccharum wardii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 200–300 cm long. Culm-internodes solid. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; scarious. Leaf-blade base tapering to the midrib. Leaf-blades 50–100 cm long; 10–25 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; ovate; 10–20 cm long; 5–10 cm wide. Panicle axis with scattered hairs, or pilose.

Racemes 5–10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; villous on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels filiform; villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.5 mm long; bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs purple; 8–9 mm long; 2 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma linear; 3 mm long; hyaline. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight; 20–25 mm long overall. Palea 0.5 mm long; 0.15 length of lemma; hyaline.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long; purple.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bor 1993.

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