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.

Miscanthus floridulus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 150–400 cm long; 8–16 mm diam. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 30–80 cm long; 15–40 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; obovate; 30–50 cm long; 10–20 cm wide.

Racemes 10–25 cm long. Rhachis tough; subterete; glabrous on surface. Rhachis internodes filiform; 3–5 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; recurved; unequal; 1–3.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1.3–2 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume elliptic; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.9 length of spikelet; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; ciliate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 5–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and northwestern.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Koyama.

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