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.

Saccharum procerum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 400–600 cm long. Culm-internodes solid. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base tapering to the midrib. Leaf-blades 75–150 cm long; 20–60 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate; 30–80 cm long; 15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Panicle axis glabrous. Panicle branches glabrous.

Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; villous on surface. Rhachis internodes filiform; 6–7 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels filiform; 2.5–3.5 mm long; villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1.5 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes similar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner above; 2-keeled. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface flat; villous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner above; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear; 3–4 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma linear; 3–4 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; ciliate. Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Assam 1993.

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