Sasa tenuifolia

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 30–40 cm long; 2–2.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Leaves 1–14 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–14 cm long; 12–23 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation with 8–10 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single. Rhachis pubescent on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; scarious; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; scarious; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Nakai 1996.

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