Saccharum ravennae

• Botanical Name : Sachharum ravennae (L.) L.
• Common Name : Ravenna Grass, Hardy Pampas Grass, Italian Sugar Cane
• Plant Family : Poaceae (Gramineae)
• Plant Form : Grasses
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Saccharum ravennae Plant :

• Habit : A tall perennial grass with erect culms.
• Leaves :
  • Ligulate, ligule a ciliate membrane.
  • Leaf-blade base tapering to the mid-rib.
• Inflorescence and Flowers :
  • A panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.
  • Peduncle glabrous.
  • Raceme rachis fragile at the nodes, villous on margins, internodes filiform.
  • Spikelets in pairs.
  • Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal.
  • Pedicels filiform.
  • Fertile spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile floret, 1 fertile floret, without rachilla extension.
  • Spikelets elliptic, dorsally compressed, acuminate, falling entire, deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures.
  • Spikelet callus bearded, base truncate.
  • Spikelet callus hairs white.
  • Glumes exceeding apex of florets, firmer than fertile lemma.
  • Lower glume elliptic, membranous, 2-keeled, keeled above.
  • Lower glume surface glabrous (sessile), or  pilose (pedicelled).
  • Lower glume apex acute.
  • Upper glume lanceolate,membranous, 1-keeled, 3 -veined.
  • Upper glume surface glabrous (sessile), or pilose (pedicelled).
  • Upper glume apex acute.
  • Basal sterile florets barren, without significant palea.
  • Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, hyaline, ciliate on margins,acute.
  • Fertile lemma lanceolate,hyaline.
  • Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy above.
  • Lemma apex entire, awned.
  • Principal lemma awn apical, flexuous, clearlyexserted from spikelet.
  • Paleahy aline.
  • Anthers 3.