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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Merostachys claussenii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 500–700 cm long; 3–4 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 4–6 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 5–18 cm long; 10–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 4–9 cm long. Rhachis pubescent on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; regular.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–14 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12–14 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; linear; 2–3 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Parodi 1997.

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