Merostachys burmanii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1500 cm long; 40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 38–40 cm long; yellow, or mid-green; retrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 28–30 cm long; 3 times as long as wide; retrorsely scabrous; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 0.3 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed; 17 cm long; 18–20 mm wide; attenuate. Leaves 7–9 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; deciduous; 2–3 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–17 cm long; 20–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle retrorsely scabrous above.

Racemes 1; single; sinuous; unilateral; 8–11 cm long. Rhachis puberulous on surface to villous on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Rhachis hairs white. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; irregular.

Spikelets deflexed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster; all alike, or heteromorphic; the upper smaller (sometimes rudimentary). Pedicels oblong; 1 mm long; puberulous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–11 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; light green and dark green (spotted); 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8 mm long; 3.5–4 mm wide; chartaceous; keeled; 10–11 -veined. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 6 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 8 mm long; pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 6 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; oblong; 6–7 mm long; light brown; smooth; cuspidate.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2001.

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