Yushania tessellata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–300 cm long; 10–17 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots, or with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 30–40 cm long; yellow, or light green; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 8–18 cm long; 2–3 times as long as wide; green; smooth; glabrous, or hispid; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 2–3 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect, or reflexed; 0.7–6 cm long; 3 mm wide; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–16 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–15 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 20–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5 mm long; without keel. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins ciliate. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Bam Sabah 1996.

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