Yushania crispata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–700 cm long; 10–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 30–35 cm long; distally hirsute. Lateral branches dendroid; ascending. Branch complement several. Culm-sheaths persistent; coriaceous; pilose; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 10–20 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1–1.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; 2–7.5 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaves 2–3(–5) per branch. Leaf-sheaths 2.2–4.5 cm long; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 4–7 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.15 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–11 cm long; 8–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–8 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–12 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels flexuous, or sinuous; 15–40 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8(–14) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 16–30(–40) mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2–5 mm long; pilose; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; herbaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 5.5–7.5 mm long. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5–6 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 5 mm long; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Yi 2002.

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