Colanthelia macrostachya

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 100–400 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; without auricles; setose on shoulders. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; erect; 1.5 mm long; pale. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–7.5 cm long; 6–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate. Primary panicle branches 15–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 9–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 110–115 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 6–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 17–20 mm long. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Sao Paulo 2001.

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