Arthrostylidium cubense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; slender; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches fastigiate. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a clump; subtended by a bare patch above the node; with subequal branches. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 8–10 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; straight; bilateral; 7–20 cm long. Spikelet packing distant.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–3 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1 mm long overall. 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. McClure 1997.

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