Arthrostylidium sarmentosum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; slender; pendulous at the tip; 2–3 mm diam.; 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. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 3.5–5 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; sinuous; bilateral; 2–4 cm long; bearing 2–5 fertile spikelets on each. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

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

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. 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. Man Gr WI 1997.

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