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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Melocalamus compactiflorus
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 500–850 cm long; 15–25 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 30–60 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths persistent; glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate, or ovate; reflexed; 5–15 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 15–25 cm long; 25–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in globose clusters; 0.7–1.2 cm long; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.
Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; obtuse; 2.5–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblate; 2–2.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 6 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on flanks. Rhachilla extension 1 length of fertile floret.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2–3. Ovary umbonate; glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; 15–20 mm long. Endosperm evanescent.
CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vivipary occurs.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.
NOTES Bambuseae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
