GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Sasamorpha

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 50–135.9–200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes unequal, the lower longer (1/1); terete. Lateral branches ample (1), or suffrutescent (3), or dendroid (1). Branch complement one (4/4); solitary (4/4); as thick as stem (2/2). Culm-sheaths persistent (3/3); without auricles (4/4). Culm-sheath blade lanceolate (3/3), or triangular (1/3). Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate (1), or oblong; herbaceous (4), or chartaceous (1). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (2), or with distinct cross veins (3).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle (3/3).

Panicle open (3/3).

Spikelets solitary (3/3). Fertile spikelets pedicelled (3/3).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets (2/3), or 5–6 fertile florets (3/3), or 7–8 fertile florets (1/3); with diminished florets at the apex (3/3). Spikelets linear (2/3), or lanceolate (1/3); laterally compressed (3/3); 8–18–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity (3/3); disarticulating below each fertile floret (3/3). Rhachilla internodes definite (3/3); pubescent (3/3).

GLUMES Glumes persistent (3/3); shorter than spikelet (3/3); thinner than fertile lemma (3/3). Lower glume lanceolate (1/3), or ovate (2/3); 0.3–0.45–0.6 length of upper glume; scarious (3/3); without keels (3/3); 1 -veined (1/2), or 7–9 -veined (1/2). Lower glume lateral veins absent (1/3), or distinct (2/3). Lower glume surface without pits (3/3). Lower glume apex acuminate (2/3), or cuspidate (1/3). Upper glume ovate (3/3); scarious (3/3); without keels (3/3); 3 -veined (1/2), or 7–9 -veined (1/2). Upper glume apex acute (1/3), or acuminate (2/3).

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate (3/3); chartaceous (3/3); without keel (3/3); wingless (3/3); 11 -veined (2/3), or 12 -veined (1/3), or 13 -veined (2/3). Lemma surface unwrinkled (3/3); without grooves (3/3); glabrous (2/3), or puberulous (1/3). Lemma margins ciliolate (1/3), or ciliate (2/3). Lemma apex acuminate (2/3), or cuspidate (1/3). Palea 1 length of lemma; 8–9 -veined (1/2), or 10 -veined (2/2), or 11–12 -veined (1/2). Palea keels ciliolate (1/3), or ciliate (2/3). Palea surface glabrous (2/3), or puberulous (1/3). Palea apex dentate (1/1). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (3/3).

FLOWER Lodicules 3 (3/3); ciliate (3/3); obtuse (1/2), or acute (1/2). Anthers 6 (3/3). Stigmas 3 (3/3).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (2/2); apex unappendaged (2/2).

DISTRIBUTION Temperate Asia.

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