Arthrostylidium multispicatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; slender; pendulous at the tip; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; retrorsely scabrous; 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, or puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; deciduous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6–8 cm long; 10–12(–30) mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; straight; bilateral; 6–8 cm long; bearing 3–5 fertile spikelets on each. Spikelet packing lax. Rhachis internodes 10–15 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3.5 mm long; pubescent.

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

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex obtuse; pubescent; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Man Gr WI 1997.

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