Yushania levigata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–450 cm long; 10–20 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 30–40 cm long; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; erect, or ascending. Branch complement several. Culm-sheaths persistent; 10–18 cm long; coriaceous; glabrous, or puberulous; with appressed hairs; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–0.8 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed; 1.5–5 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 2.5–3.6 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking; 0.5–2 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 1–1.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–10 cm long; 9–12.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–10 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 2–12 fertile spikelets; without bracts, or bracteate at branch bases (lowest branch).

Panicle open; 2–2.7 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 5–14 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–30 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3–4 mm long; pubescent; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–9.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–10 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or pubescent. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate. Palea 4–8 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 3–4 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.