Yushania pauciramificans T.P. Yi

Ye, Xia-Ying, Xu, Zu-Chang, Cheng, Yue-Hong, Wang, Wei-Hua & Li, De-Zhu, 2022, Inflorescences of Fargesia angustissima T. P. Yi and Yushania pauciramificans T. P. Yi (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) shed light on the taxonomy of the Sino-Himalayan alpine bamboos, PhytoKeys 215, pp. 27-36 : 27

Yushania pauciramificans T.P. Yi

“少枝玉山竹” (Shao Zhi Yu Shan Zhu) Fig. 2

Yushania pauciramificans T.P. Yi in Bull. Bot. Res. 8(4): 71-73. pl. 5. 1988; Keng f. & Z. P. Wang, Fl. Reippubl. Poppularis. Sin. 9(1): 547. pl. 164, 6-8. 1996; D. Z. Li and Stapleton in Z. Y. Wu, P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong, Fl. China 22: 72. 2006. L. B. Zhang in C. Y. Wu, P. H. Raven & H. Y. Hong, Fl. China Illustr. 22: 96. pl. 96: 6-8. 2007. ‘Type’: China. Yunnan: Xinping County, Ailao Mountain, Liangshan, 2510 m alt., under forest, 1 Sept. 1986, T.P. Yi 86237 (holotype, SCFI!); ibid., Gasa Town, 23°57'N, 101°33.90'E, 2257 m alt., 28 May 2020, YXY2020023 (epitype designated here, KUN, 1546904!).

Description.

Culms diffuse, 1.5-3.5 m tall, 0.6-1.2 cm in diameter; internodes terete, 15-27 cm long, initially with a white powdery ring below nodes, glabrous; culm walls 2.5-3.5 mm thick, cavity small; nodes weakly prominent; sheath scar obviously prominent, woody. Branches 1-3 at lower nodes, ca. 5 at upper. Culm sheaths persistent, triangularly oblong, 2/5-1/2 as long as internodes, cartilaginous, gray setose abaxially, margins densely setose; auricles absent; oral setae 2-4, erect, deciduous; ligule 1-1.5 mm tall, glabrous; blades linear lanceolate, glabrous, reflexed. Foliage leaves 2-5 per branchlet; sheath margins glabrous; auricles absent; oral setae 5-7, slightly curved; ligule 0.5-1 mm tall; blades 5.2-16 × 1.1-2.8 cm, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, base broadly cuneate or rounded, glabrous, secondary veins 4-6 pairs, transverse veins distinct.

Flowering branches 6-22 cm long, lower nodes with secondary flowering branchlets; inflorescence open, paniculate, terminal on leafy branches, composed of 5-15 spikelets, axilla with tuberculate glands, subtended by a small bract; axes terete, 2-10 cm long, glabrous. Spikelet dark purple, 3-6 cm long; pedicels slender, 1.3-3 cm long, usually slightly sinuous, glabrous; florets 2-5, 1.2-3 cm long, cylindrical, apical floret sterile and tubulose; rachilla internodes slightly flattened, ca. 5 mm long, gray white pubescent, apex more densely, margins gray white ciliate. Glumes 2, apically awned, ca. 1 mm, the first one narrowly lanceolate, 4-7 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, distally white pubescent; the second one ovoid-lanceolate, 6-10 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, distally white pubescent. Lemma mucronate, papery, 7-10 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, densely white setose, apically awned, ca. 1 mm; palea slightly shorter than lemma, thinly papery, 6-9 mm long, 2-keeled, densely pubescent, apex obtuse, 2-cleft. Lodicules 3, membranous, transparent, elliptical-triangular, margins ciliate. Stamens 3, filaments free, anthers yellow, ovary long-ovoid, glabrous. Pistil short, stigmas 2, plumose. Fruits unknown.

Phenology.

New shoots August. Flowering April to June.

Distribution and habitat.

Yushania pauciramificans is known from Xinping, south-central Yunnan, mainly distributed in the evergreen broadleaved forest at an elevation of 2250-2500 m.

Figures

Figure 2. Yushania pauciramificans T. P. Yi A habitat B branches C bud D culm sheath E branchlet, showing foliage leaves F flowering branches G inflorescence H spikelet I anatomy of florets.