Sasa cernua

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 200–300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous, or pilose; with reflexed hairs. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; glabrous; without auricles. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 20–28 cm long; 50–70 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade midrib scarcely raised beneath. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3–4 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; scarious; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; scarious; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 10 mm long; 8 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex awned; awns hairy. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate; ciliate; acute. Anthers 6; 4–5 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east and eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Ind. Jap. Bam. 2001.

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