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Descriptions

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

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

Cyrtochloa major

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 800 cm long; 25 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–24 cm long; 6–13 mm wide; firm. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins serrulate. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in oblong clusters; 3–5 cm long; open; glabrous on internodes; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters; 40 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 4 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5 mm long; 2 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 6 mm long; chartaceous; 6 -veined; without keels. Palea surface glabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate (an empty lemma); 4 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Dransfield 2004.

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