Arthrostylidium ecuadorense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 300–600 cm long; 1–2.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; purple; retrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement three, or several; in a clump; subtended by a bare patch above the node; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Leaves 3–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 3–6 mm long; dark. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–0.4 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.25 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3.8–10 cm long; 8–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous (below). Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; flexuous, or sinuous; bilateral; 5–9 cm long; bearing 3–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 25–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3–4.5 mm long; 0.75–9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.5–6 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–13 mm long; chartaceous; red, or purple; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex emarginate to obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 2.7–3 mm long; veined. Anthers 3; linear; 4.5–6 mm long; purple. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Jud. & Clarke 2001.

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