Sasa suzukii

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 200 cm long; 5–11 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 18 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths hispid. Leaves 5–6 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 12–34 cm long; 28–62 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate. Primary panicle branches reflexed. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 25–40 mm long; 12–16 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex acuminate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6; 5 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 6 mm long; dark brown; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Nakai 2002.

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