Sasa pulcherrima

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 20–30 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; spreading. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 5–10 cm long; 10–25 mm wide; dark green and light green; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation with 6–12 secondary veins. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 6–9 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 25–40 mm long; 9–18 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 5–10 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 5–6 mm long; dark brown; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Nakai 2002.

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