Drepanostachyum annulatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms pendulous at the tip; 200–300 cm long; 4–6 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 10–21 cm long; dark green; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes swollen; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud prophyll 1-keeled. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line (two lines). Culm-sheaths deciduous; 2 times as long as wide; green and purple; distinctly mottled with last colour; pubescent; hairy at the base; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule entire, or ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; obtuse, or acute. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–16 cm long; 9–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially (on midrib).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; without bracts, or bracteate at branch bases.

Panicle open. Panicle branches arcuate; pubescent in axils; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–8 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2(–3) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 5–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma 7–9.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Palea 8.5–10 mm long; 1.1–1.3 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid. Rhachilla extension 2–5 mm long. Apical sterile florets distinct from fertile; 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Stapleton 1995.

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