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 ferax

HABIT Perennial. Culms 260 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several. Leaf-sheaths 2.5–4 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1.5–3.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–6 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4–6 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single; bearing 3–6 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–22 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 14–28 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2–3 mm long; glabrous, or sparsely hairy; hairy at tip. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume margins pubescent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 11–16 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate, or rostrate. Palea 9–10 mm long. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Keng 1996.

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