Sasa megalophylla

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 20 cm long; 2–2.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally hispid; with reflexed hairs. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths 1 length of internode; pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Leaves 5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 15–17 cm long; 38–41 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation with 14–16 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pubescent. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above; pilose above.

Panicle open; ovate; 9–10 cm long; 7–9 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels flexuous; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 1 mm long; scarious; without keels. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear; 2.5–3 mm long; scarious; without keels. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 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.