Melocalamus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent (12/12); 200–1395–3000 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes flush with internodes (2/5), or swollen (3/5). Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one (1), or two (1), or three (1), or several (8), or many (4); in a horizontal line (1/1); with 1 branch dominant (7/7); as thick as stem (3/3). Culm-sheaths persistent (2/6), or tardily deciduous (2/6), or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle (1/6), or deciduous (1/6); without auricles (3/8), or auriculate (5/8). Culm-sheath blade linear (1/12), or lanceolate (3/12), or ovate (5/12), or triangular (4/12); narrower than sheath (4/5), or as wide as sheath at base (1/5). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (8), or erect (2), or falcate (3). Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear (1), or lanceolate (6), or elliptic (3), or oblong (5), or ovate (1); herbaceous (11), or chartaceous (2). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (8), or with obscure cross veins (5).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous (9/9); clustered at the nodes (9/9); in globose clusters (9/9); with glumaceous subtending bracts (9/9); with axillary buds at base of spikelet (9/9); leafless between clusters (8/9), or leafless between branches (1/9).

Fertile spikelets sessile (9/9).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets (1/1); 1 fertile florets (2/9), or 2 fertile florets (7/9); without rhachilla extension (1/9), or with a barren rhachilla extension (7/9), or with diminished florets at the apex (1/9). Spikelets orbicular (1/9), or obovate (8/9); laterally compressed (9/9); 1.66–2.739–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity (9/9); disarticulating below each fertile floret (2/9), or above glumes but not between florets (7/9).

GLUMES Glumes two (3/9), or several (6/9); persistent (9/9); shorter than spikelet (9/9). Lower glume ovate (1/3), or orbicular (1/3), or oblate (1/3); 0.7–0.75–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous (3/3); without keels (3/3); 3 -veined (1/1). Lower glume surface without pits (9/9). Lower glume apex obtuse (3/3). Upper glume ovate (1/9), or orbicular (1/9), or oblate (7/9); 0.6–0.8014–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous (9/9); without keels (9/9); 5 -veined (7/7). Upper glume surface glabrous (3/9), or pubescent (3/9), or pilose (3/9). Upper glume apex obtuse (9/9).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren (1/1); with palea (1/1). Lemma of lower sterile floret orbicular (1/1); chartaceous (1/1); obtuse (1/1). Fertile lemma ovate (1/9), or orbicular (1/9), or oblate (7/9); chartaceous (8/8); of similar consistency on margins (8/9), or much thinner on margins (1/9); without keel (9/9); wingless (9/9); 3–4 -veined (1/8), or 5 -veined (6/8). Lemma lateral veins obscure (1/1). Lemma surface unwrinkled (9/9); without grooves (9/9); glabrous (4/9), or pubescent (4/9), or pilose (1/9). Lemma margins eciliate (5/9), or ciliolate (1/9), or ciliate (2/9), or pubescent (1/9). Lemma apex obtuse (9/9). Palea not rolled (4/9), or tightly convolute around flower (5/9); 1 length of lemma; 6 -veined (1/1); without keels (1/9), or 2-keeled (8/9). Palea keels eciliate (7/8), or ciliolate (1/8). Palea surface glabrous (1/9), or pubescent (8/9). Apical sterile florets 1 in number (1/1); rudimentary (1/1).

FLOWER Lodicules 3 (9/9); ciliate (9/9). Anthers 6 (9/9). Stigmas 2 (4/8), or 3 (5/8). Ovary unappendaged (8/9), or umbonate (1/9); glabrous (1/1).

FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp (8/8); orbicular (8/8); isodiametric (8/8).

DISTRIBUTION Temperate Asia (5), or Tropical Asia (9).

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