Merostachys bifurcata

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; drooping at the tip; 1000 cm long; 7.5–12.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; grey and light green; striped; scaberulous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 20–25 cm long; 4 times as long as wide; chartaceous; antrorsely scabrous; setose on shoulders; shoulders with straight hairs; shoulders with 6–8 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 6 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect, or spreading, or reflexed; 6–7 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaves 12–14 per branch. Leaf-sheaths retrorsely scabrous; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect; 3–6 mm long; pale. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–13 cm long; 4–8 mm wide; grey-green. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Flowering specimens unknown.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2002.

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