Cortaderia roraimensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–120 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 2–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 40–50 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 12–15 cm long; 6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–6 cm long. Panicle axis pilose. Panicle branches pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 6–10 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pilose. Floret callus hairs 1.5–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume linear; 9–9.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse. Upper glume linear; 9–9.5 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; plumose; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 3–4 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with filiform lobes; with lobes 0.5–1 mm long; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 7–11 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 0.66 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Palea apex emarginate, or truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

MALE Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and Brazil.

NOTES Arundineae. Conert 1993.

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