Silver plume grass

Description

Saccharum alopecuroides, HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; robust; 150-300 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 40-80 cm long; 12-20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous; hairless except near base. Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle hirsute above. Panicle open; elliptic; dense; 20-30 cm long. Panicle axis pilose. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; villous on surface. Rhachis internodes linear. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels linear; villous. FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 10-15 mm long; 2 length of spikelet. GLUMES Glumes similar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; pallid; 2-keeled. Lower glume surface flat; pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; pallid; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute. FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; acute. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; flat below; 10-15 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea absent or minute. FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate. Anthers 3.