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.

Yushania violascens

HABIT Perennial. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; 14 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaves 4–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; involute; 2.5–5 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

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

Racemes 1; single; 4–7 cm long; bearing 3–7 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 4–14 mm long; smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 27–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4 mm long; pubescent; hairy above. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 12–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate, or attenuate. Palea 9–10 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface puberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2–2.5 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5–6 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 3. 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.