Actinocladum verticillatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300–460 cm long; 7–14 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; glabrous; auriculate; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade ovate; constricted at base; spreading; glabrous on surface; acuminate. Leaves cauline; 5–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades persistent; lanceolate; 8–13 cm long; 10–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 2–4(–8) fertile spikelets; axillary; bracteate at branch bases.

Panicle open; 3–6 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 20–40 mm long; glabrous, or puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 60–75 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5–5.5 mm long; obscured by lemmas; pilose; hairy all along but hairs longer above.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 5.5 mm long; 0.7–0.75 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 7.7 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 11 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 13 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 18 -veined. Palea keels winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3–4 mm long; veined; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 5–9.2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; ellipsoid; 11–14.5 mm long. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. WDC.

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