Acidosasa carinata

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 300–700 cm long; 10–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 22–28 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement two; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; glabrous; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 4–5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect, or reflexed; 3 cm long. Leaves 4–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; entire, or bilobed. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear; 13–26 cm long; 3.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 14–18 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–8 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 18–25 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–28 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 30–70 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6–7 mm long; pubescent; hairy all along but hairs longer above.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 15–17 mm long; 9 mm wide; chartaceous; 13–18 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 12–15 mm long; 5–7 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 6; 5–5.5 mm long. Stigmas 1.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Lin 2014.

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