Sasa tokugawana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 150 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen; glabrous. Lateral branches ample; arising from upper culm. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 0.5 length of internode; glabrous; without auricles. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 15–23 cm long; 30–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 8–9 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 28 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–2 mm long; scarious; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; scarious; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acuminate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. 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.