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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Yushania elegans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 400–700 cm long; 8–25 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; 18–23 cm long; smooth. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in an irregular line; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 0.33 length of internode; chartaceous; pubescent; truncate at apex; auriculate. Culm-sheath ligule fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; acute. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 10–14 cm long; 8–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 8–12 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea obovate; 6 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex dentate; 1 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; purple. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Gamble 1995.

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