Yushania hirsuta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 15 cm long; scaberulous; distally hirsute. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one, or two. Culm-sheaths 10–15 cm long; 4–6 times as long as wide; chartaceous; hispid; with tawny hairs; convex at apex; auriculate; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; hispid. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 7–12 cm long; 12–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 8–12 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; herbaceous; without keels. Upper glume ovate; 9 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; 4 mm wide; herbaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 8 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Seeth. & Kumar 2002.

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