Sasaella kogasensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 5–10 cm long; 1.5–2 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Leaves 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 5–9 cm long; 5–18 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; 5–6 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 mm long; scarious; without keels. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–3 mm long; scarious; without keels. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5–8 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate. Palea 5–7 mm long. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 6; yellow. Stigmas 3.

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.