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.

Fargesia cuspidata

HABIT Perennial. Culms 500 cm long; 20 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 14–19 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several. Leaves 1–3 per branch. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; deciduous; 3 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole, or with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades oblong; 3.5–12 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–10 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; with principal spatheoles embracing a compact fascicle of racemes, each subtended by a subsidiary bract. Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 4–10 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–6 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–14 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18–26 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 16–25 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–13 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea 11–15 mm long. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2.5 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 7–9 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; 10 mm long; dark brown.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Keng 1996.

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