Sasa chartacea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 3–5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; dark green. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Leaf-sheaths 6–9 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; spreading. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3.7–17 cm long; 8–23 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 8–12 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1–3 fertile spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9–17 mm long; chartaceous; dark green; without keel. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 5–6 mm long; apex unappendaged.

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

NOTES Arundinarieae. Nakai 1996.

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