Poaceae
Saccharum

Saccharum williamsii (Bor) Bor ex Cope

First published in Kew Bull. 35: 703 (1980)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Nepal. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; wiry. Butt sheaths villous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 100-150 cm long. Culm-internodes solid. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-4 mm long. Leaf-blades 50-100 cm long; 2-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle glabrous. Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 18-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches sparsely divided. Racemes 2-6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; villous on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 6-7 mm long. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels filiform; 3 mm long; villous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.15-0.33 length of spikelet.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.15-0.33 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 2-keeled. Lower glume surface flat; villous. Lower glume hairs dark brown (3-4mm long). Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy above. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 5 mm long; 0.8 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 5 mm long; hyaline. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.2-0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4 mm long. Palea oblong; 0.6 length of lemma; hyaline.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Bor.
[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

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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