Sasaella masamuneana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous, or pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–20 cm long; 19–28 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; scarious; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; scarious; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Ind. Jap. Bam. 2002.

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