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.

Acidosasa breviclavata

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–300 cm long; 10–15 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three. Culm-sheaths deciduous; brown and purple; obscurely mottled with last colour; hispid; with appressed hairs; hairy on margins; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; 0.5–1 cm long. Leaves 5–6 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–14 cm long; 8–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 8 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes, or comprising only a few spikelets.

Racemes 1; single; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 20–40 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 25–35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3–4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 4 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 11 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 10 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 6; 3 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Lin 2002.

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