Sasa hayatae

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Leaf-sheaths 4–10 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9–20 cm long; 16–44 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath and variegated (white margins). Leaf-blade surface pubescent. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 12–14 cm long; pubescent above.

Panicle open; ovate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 10–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; scarious; without keels. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–4 mm long; scarious; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; dark green; without keel. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 5–6 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1 mm long. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Nakai 1996.

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