Sasaella hisauchii

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 4–7 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one, or three; in a horizontal line; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; glabrous; without auricles. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; spreading. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 20–25 cm long; 25–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 40–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; scarious; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; scarious; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 11 mm long; 8 -veined. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above; with 0.5 of their length adorned. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate; ciliate; acute. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Ind. Jap. Bam. 2001.

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