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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.
Merostachys ciliata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 800 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; scaberulous; puberulous; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10 mm long; pale. Ligule absent. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9 cm long; 20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 9 cm long. Rhachis pubescent on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; regular.
Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 15–17 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long. Lower glume surface pubescent. Upper glume ovate; 4 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong, or ovate; 5–6 mm long; mid-green and red (mottled); 7 -veined; obtuse; mucronate. Fertile lemma linear, or oblong; 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green and red; mottled with last colour; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.
FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1996.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
