Himalayacalamus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 200–533.3–900 cm long; woody; without nodal roots (8/8). Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes flush with internodes (2/4), or swollen (3/4); without obvious supra-nodal ridge (1/1). Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several (1), or many (8). Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle (1/7), or deciduous (6/7); without auricles (7/7). Culm-sheath blade linear (5), or lanceolate (1), or triangular (3). Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate (1). Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear (3), or lanceolate (7), or oblong (1). Leaf-blade midrib evident (1/1). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (8), or with obscure cross veins (1).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple (3/4), or bractiferous (1/4); clustered at the nodes (1/1); in untidy tufts (1/1); with glumaceous subtending bracts (1/1); with axillary buds at base of spikelet (1/1); on the same culm as leaves (3/4), or on a separate leafless culm (1/4). Inflorescence a panicle (1/3), or composed of racemes (2/3); subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath (1/3), or a spatheole (1/3), or bracts (1/3); exserted (2/3), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (1/3).

Panicle open (1/1).

Racemes single (2/2); bearing few fertile spikelets (1/2), or many spikelets (1/2); bearing 5–7 fertile spikelets on each (1/1).

Spikelets solitary (3/3). Fertile spikelets pedicelled (3/3).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (4/4), or 2 fertile florets (1/4); with a barren rhachilla extension (2/4), or with diminished florets at the apex (4/4). Spikelets lanceolate (4/4); laterally compressed (4/4); 7–9.375–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity (4/4); disarticulating below each fertile floret (4/4). Rhachilla internodes definite (1/1). Floret callus woolly (1/1).

GLUMES Glumes persistent (4/4); shorter than spikelet (4/4). Lower glume lanceolate (2/4), or oblong (2/4); 1 length of upper glume; membranous (1/4), or chartaceous (3/4); without keels (3/3); 3 -veined (2/2), or 4–5 -veined (1/2). Lower glume surface without pits (4/4); glabrous (3/4), or pubescent (1/4). Lower glume apex acute (3/3); muticous (4/4), or mucronate (1/4). Upper glume lanceolate (1/4), or elliptic (1/4), or oblong (2/4); 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous (1/4), or chartaceous (3/4); without keels (3/3); 3–4 -veined (1/2), or 5 -veined (2/2). Upper glume apex acute (3/3); muticous (3/4), or mucronate (2/4).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (1/3), or ovate (2/3); chartaceous (3/3); without keel (3/3); wingless (4/4); 3 -veined (1/2), or 5–7 -veined (1/2). Lemma lateral veins prominent (1/1). Lemma surface smooth (2/4), or scabrous (2/4); unwrinkled (4/4); without grooves (4/4); glabrous (3/4), or woolly (1/4). Lemma margins eciliate (1/4), or ciliolate (3/4). Lemma apex muticous (3/4), or mucronate (1/4). Palea 1–1.05–1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined (2/3), or 4 -veined (1/3); without keels (1/4), or 2-keeled (3/4). Palea apex entire (1/1); muticous (3/4), or with excurrent keel veins (1/4). Apical sterile florets 1 in number (4/4); rudimentary (4/4).

FLOWER Lodicules 3 (3/3); glabrous (1/3), or ciliate (2/3). Anthers 3 (3/3). Stigmas 3 (1/1). Ovary glabrous (2/2).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (3/3); ellipsoid (1/2), or oblong (1/2); apex unappendaged (3/3).

DISTRIBUTION Temperate Asia (2), or Tropical Asia, or Australasia (1).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.