Poaceae
Saccharum

Saccharum velutinum (Holttum) Cope

First published in Kew Bull. 35: 703 (1980)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Peninsula Malaysia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms rambling; robust; 200-300 cm long; 5-6 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths 13-13.5 cm long; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; pilose on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15-30 cm long; 20-40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; lanceolate; 25 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes. Panicle axis pubescent. Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets; 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete. Rhachis internodes clavate. Rhachis internode tip with hairy rim. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels clavate; puberulous; hairy at tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white; 5-6.5 mm long; 2 length of spikelet.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white; 5-6.5 mm long; 2 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous; hairy below. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined; dentate; 2 -fid. Fertile lemma linear; 2.2 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 6.2 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea lanceolate; 1.8 mm long; hyaline. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.8 mm long; yellow.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Malesia.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Gilliland 1997.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0