Arthrostylidium judziewiczii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 200–400 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary. Culm-sheaths deciduous; pubescent; hairy at the base; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 4–9.5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; constricted at base; deciduous; reflexed; 2–2.5 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaves 1–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 4–9.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.16–0.3 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–13 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; bracteate at pedicel base (in distal part of raceme). Peduncle glabrous.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 8–14 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis 1 mm wide; glabrous on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 35–65 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes flattened; 4–7 mm long; pubescent; hairy above. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; asymmetrical; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled, or 2-keeled; 6 -veined. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.2–1.8 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; ovate; 9 -veined; with conspicuous midvein; with cross-veins; acute; mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0.5–1.3 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret 0–0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–11.5 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 9 -veined. Lemma margins scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.8–5.1 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Davidse 1995.

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