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.

Schizostachyum pingbianense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching, or leaning; pendulous at the tip; 500–700 cm long; 10–20(–30) mm diam.; woody; 25–30 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; (10–)25–35(–60) cm long; distally pilose (when young). Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Culm-sheaths tardily deciduous; 0.5–0.8 length of internode; hispid; with grey hairs; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–1 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; reflexed; 3–5 mm wide; pubescent. Leaves (4–)5–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 7–10 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 14–15 cm long; (2.2–)3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 12–18 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 1.5–3.5 cm long; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters; 4.5–12 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 3–4 gemmiferous bracts; 3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 5–10 mm long; 7–9(–11) -veined.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 8–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7–11 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Palea ovate; tightly convolute around flower; 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keels, or 2-keeled. Palea surface glabrous. Palea apex awned.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate; 1–2 mm long. Anthers 6; 5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 3; plumose. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; oblong; 8–9 mm long; light brown.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Hoeh & Yang 2009.

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