Yushania basihirsuta

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 150 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three. Leaf-sheaths hispid; with reflexed hairs; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; spreading; 5–10 mm long; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; scaberulous on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6–12 cm long; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 8–16 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; 8–9 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis glabrous. Panicle branches glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 40–60 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5–7 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11 mm long; chartaceous; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. McClure 2002.

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