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.

Davidsea attenuata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 800–900 cm long; 15–25 mm diam.; woody; 26–30 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 37–38 cm long; light green. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with white hairs; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; deciduous; spreading, or reflexed; 4–8.5 cm long; 10 mm wide; hispid. Leaves 9–10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 10–20 cm long; 20–30 mm wide; mid-green and light green; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes 1–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2–3 gemmiferous bracts; 1 empty glumes; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 9–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 13 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–14 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 15 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous; 5 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2.4 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; 2 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 3; plumose. Ovary unappendaged; glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sod & Ellis 1995.

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