Culms to 5 m, ca. 1.5 cm in diam.; internodes initially with a white powdery ring below node, pubescent, becoming glabrous; nodes moderately elevated. Culm sheaths tardily deciduous, base retrorsely hirtellous, apex and both sides strigose or with striae and papillae left by fallen hairs; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule truncate or weakly concave, 1–2 mm, hirtellous, apically ciliate or entire; blade deciduous, erect or reflexed, lanceolate, both surfaces introrsely hirtellous. Leaves 5–9 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous or subglabrous; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule truncate, less than 1.5 mm, scabrous; blade oblong-lanceolate, 5.5–17 × 0.8–2.1 cm, both surfaces subglabrous. Racemes or panicles initially terminal to leafy branches, later lateral at lower nodes, with 2–5 spikelets; peduncles slender, lower 2/3 enclosed by sheathlike bracts in lateral inflorescences; pedicels 5–14 mm, slender, glabrous or partly hirsute or hispid along angles. Spikelets 4(–7) × ca. 0.2 cm; florets 6–8; rachilla internodes ca. 1/2 as long as lemma, apex ciliate. Glumes 3 to several, 1st small, others gradually larger; sterile lemmas 1 to several, small, resembling glumes, embracing a small palea; fertile lemmas ca. 7.5(–9) mm, veins inconspicuous, apex acuminate; palea smaller than or about as long as lemma in spikelet center, longer in distal florets, but always narrower than lemma, apex obtuse, keels densely long ciliate; lodicules 2–3 mm. Stamens 3. Stigmas (2 or)3(or 4).
Home