Arthrostylidium angustifolium

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; slender; 200–300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches fastigiate. Branch complement many; in a clump; subtended by a bare patch above the node; with subequal branches. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–5 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; conduplicate; 15–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes borne along a central axis; straight; bilateral; 4–6 cm long; bearing 3 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 20–30 cm long. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 22–30 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2.5–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Nash 1997.

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