Poaceae
Saccharum

Saccharum stewartii Rajesw., R.R.Rao & Arti Garg

First published in Sida 16: 33 (1994)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Himalaya. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 200-300 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 25-50 cm long; 4-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle hirsute above. Panicle open; oblong; 20 cm long. Racemes 6-7.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; villous on surface. Rhachis hairs 6 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels linear; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs 6.8 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of spikelet.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs 6.8 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface flat; glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined; ciliolate on margins; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 3 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; hyaline. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex entire; awned. Principal lemma awn straight; 3 mm long overall. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Rajeshwari 2006.
[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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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