Yushania brevipaniculata

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 150–250 cm long; 7 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 10–30 cm long; yellow; scaberulous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths 5 cm long; striately veined; puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 7–9 cm long; 7–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

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

Panicle contracted; oblong; 5–7 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; 3–4 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; herbaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; herbaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 6–7 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Hand.-Mazz. 2002.

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