Eremocaulon amazonicum

HABIT Perennial. Culms leaning; 300–600 cm long; 10–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 20–30 cm long; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; arising from mid culm. Branch complement three, or several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths persistent; 7.5–19 cm long; 1.5 times as long as wide; pubescent; auriculate; with 5–20 mm high auricles; with 3–5 mm wide auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 20–30 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2–3 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect, or spreading, or reflexed; 5.5–12 cm long; 7–15 mm wide; pubescent; mucronate. Leaves cauline; 5–11 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 5–25 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 2–6 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8–2 mm long; bilobed. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.4 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 7–33 cm long; 4–17 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 8–22 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; 2–2.8 cm long; glabrous on internodes; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; 30 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–17 mm long; 4–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 0–4 gemmiferous bracts; 0–2 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; firmer than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 3.5–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 5–12 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–11 mm long; 3.5–6 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 10–17 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea 9–14 mm long; chartaceous; 11–15 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Anthers 6; 2–5 mm long. Stigmas 2–3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 5–6 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono 2003.

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