Schizostachyum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect (30/45), or arching (7/45), or leaning (12/45), or scandent (4/45); 152–1000–2600 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes flush with internodes (5/9), or swollen (4/9). Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one (1/32), or two (1/32), or several (8/32), or many (24/32); in a clump (7/7); with subequal branches (16/17), or 1 branch dominant (1/17). Culm-sheaths persistent (7/26), or tardily deciduous (8/26), or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle (1/26), or deciduous (11/26); without auricles (18/45), or auriculate (27/45). Culm-sheath blade linear (14/46), or lanceolate (22/46), or narrowly ovate (1/46), or ovate (6/46), or triangular (12/46); narrower than sheath (6/9), or as wide as sheath at base (3/9). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (37), or erect (6), or falcate (16). Ligule an eciliate membrane (44), or a ciliolate membrane (6), or a ciliate membrane (9). Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades persistent (57), or deciduous at the ligule (1); linear (3), or lanceolate (49), or elliptic (2), or oblong (12), or ovate (2); stiff (1), or firm (57). Leaf-blade midrib evident (1/2), or conspicuous (1/2). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (50), or with obscure cross veins (2), or with distinct cross veins (6).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous (51/51); scanty (1/51), or linear (3/51), or clustered at the nodes (47/51); in stellate clusters (3/47), or untidy tufts (44/47); with glumaceous subtending bracts (46/51), or spathaceous subtending bracts (5/51); with axillary buds at base of spikelet (51/51); leafy between clusters (5/28), or leafless between clusters (23/28), or leafless between branches (2/28).

Fertile spikelets sessile (49/50), or pedicelled (1/50).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (45/51), or 2 fertile florets (6/51), or 3 fertile florets (3/51), or 4 fertile florets (2/51), or 5–7 fertile florets (1/51); without rhachilla extension (3/51), or with a barren rhachilla extension (17/51), or with diminished florets at the apex (33/51). Spikelets linear (7/51), or lanceolate (46/51), or oblong (1/51); laterally compressed (31/51), or subterete (20/51); 6–20.55–72 mm long; breaking up at maturity (51/51); disarticulating below each fertile floret (51/51). Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (50/51), or elongated below proximal fertile floret (1/51); definite (11/11).

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure (2/51), or two (13/51), or several (40/51); persistent (35/36), or lower persistent, upper deciduous (1/36); shorter than spikelet (38/38). Lower glume lanceolate (1/18), or oblong (1/18), or ovate (16/18); 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous (3/3); without keels (3/4), or 1-keeled (1/4); 3–4 -veined (1/4), or 5–6 -veined (2/4), or 7 -veined (3/4), or 8–10 -veined (1/4), or 11 -veined (2/4). Lower glume surface without pits (50/50). Lower glume apex acute (3/10), or acuminate (6/10), or attenuate (1/10); muticous (16/18), or mucronate (1/18), or awned (1/18). Upper glume lanceolate (3/28), or oblong (3/28), or ovate (22/28); 0.3–0.35–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous (12/12); without keels (4/6), or 1-keeled (2/6); 5–7 -veined (1/6), or 9 -veined (2/6), or 10 -veined (1/6), or 11 -veined (2/6), or 12–14 -veined (1/6), or 16–18 -veined (1/6). Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins (1/1). Upper glume apex emarginate (1/18), or obtuse (2/18), or acute (7/18), or acuminate (7/18), or attenuate (2/18), or setaceously attenuate (1/18); muticous (18/28), or mucronate (7/28), or awned (3/28); 1 -awned (3/3).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (16/51), or elliptic (1/51), or oblong (5/51), or ovate (35/51); chartaceous (51/51); without keel (50/51), or keeled (1/51); wingless (51/51); 5–12–22 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent (1/1). Lemma surface smooth (50/51), or scabrous (1/51); unwrinkled (51/51); without grooves (51/51); glabrous (40/51), or puberulous (1/51), or pubescent (6/51), or pilose (3/51), or hispid (1/51). Lemma margins flat (8/51), or convolute (43/51); exposing palea (8/51), or covering most of palea (43/51); eciliate (42/51), or ciliolate (3/51), or ciliate (7/51). Lemma apex truncate (1/49), or obtuse (1/49), or acute (36/49), or acuminate (6/49), or attenuate (6/49), or apiculate (1/49); without ornament (50/51), or pubescent (1/51); muticous (33/51), or mucronate (6/51), or awned (14/51); 1 -awned (11/11). Palea not rolled (8/51), or tightly convolute around flower (43/51); 1–1.025–1.1 length of lemma; chartaceous (51/51); 7–12–20 -veined; without keels (20/51), or 1-keeled (2/51), or 2-keeled (30/51). Palea keels separated (25/30), or contiguous above a sulcus (5/30); eciliate (27/32), or ciliate (5/32). Palea surface glabrous (47/51), or puberulous (1/51), or pubescent (3/51), or pilose (1/51). Palea apex entire (1/28), or dentate (27/28); muticous (44/51), or with excurrent keel veins (1/51), or awned (6/51). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (2/33), or distinct from fertile (31/33); 1 in number (28/28); male (2/13), or barren (12/13); rudimentary (25/27), or lanceolate (2/27), or ovate (1/27). Apical sterile lemmas muticous (30/31), or mucronate (1/31).

FLOWER Lodicules absent (15/45), or 1 (2/45), or 2 (2/45), or 3 (28/45), or several (1/45); glabrous (20/31), or ciliate (11/31). Anthers 4 (1/51), or 6 (50/51). Stigmas 2 (1/49), or 3 (49/49). Ovary unappendaged (1/51), or with a steeple-like appendage (50/51); glabrous (14/20), or pubescent on apex (1/20), or pubescent all over (5/20).

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp (50/50); fusiform (3/15), or ellipsoid (1/15), or oblong (10/15), or obovoid (1/15). Embryo 0.05 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear (1/1); 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa (1), or Temperate Asia (11), or Tropical Asia (49), or Pacific (3).

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