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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Cathariostachys capitata
HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated; pachymorph. Culms erect; inclined at the tip; 700–1200 cm long; 40–50 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 50–60 cm long; distally hispid (black hairs). Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several to many; apparently arising below the node; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths persistent. Leaves 7–21 per branch. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 11–12 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 1–3 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; membranous. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–22 cm long; 11–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; globose; 1.5–3 cm long; with glumaceous subtending bracts; bracts 2.5–4 mm long; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; without prophylls.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 13–19 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes several; 5 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume elliptic; 5–7 mm long; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume hairs dark brown, or black. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–11 mm long; 13–15 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy above. Lemma hairs dark brown, or black. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 14–16 mm long; 8 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy above. Palea apex dentate. Rhachilla extension 2 mm long; pubescent.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; stipitate; 7 mm long. Embryo with basal plumule. Endosperm farinose.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.
NOTES Bambuseae. Dransfield 1998.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
