Yushania confusa

HABIT Perennial. Culms 30–60 cm long; 2.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 5–7.3 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent; erect. Branch complement one, or two, or three; with 1 branch dominant. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; brown; scaberulous on abaxial surface; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6.8 cm long; 6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–15 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus pubescent. Rhachilla internodes 5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; keeled above. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea chartaceous. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 7.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. McClure 1996.

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