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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Cephalostachyum capitatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning, or scandent; 400–1000 cm long; 25–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 60–100 cm long; yellow, or mid-green. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 15–30 cm long; 3–4 times as long as wide; chartaceous; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with tawny hairs; concave at apex, or truncate at apex; auriculate. Culm-sheath ligule entire, or ciliate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect, or reflexed; pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; deciduous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–0.8 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 10–20 cm long; 25–50 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 8–20 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; filiform; antrorsely scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; globose; 2–3.5 cm long; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 10 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–5 mm long overall. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous. Palea keels approximate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 2; pubescent. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; ovoid.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1996.

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