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 baldwinii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; robust; 0–180 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 18–60 cm long; 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle 30–40 cm long; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; linear; 10–35 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Panicle axis with scattered hairs, or glabrous. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or pubescent in axils.

Racemes 6–18 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; with scattered hairs; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3–5 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels linear; 3–5 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–10 mm long; 1.1–1.5 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous, or pubescent; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1–2 mm long; 0.15 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; light brown; 2-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; scabrous. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; light brown; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; 5–7 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight, or curved; 17–24 mm long overall. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; veined; ciliate. Anthers 2.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl N Amer 2007.

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