Merostachys lanata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 1000–1500 cm long; 25–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; yellow and dark green; striped, or mottled; smooth, or retrorsely scabrous; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; bearded. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many (50–80); flabellate. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 30 cm long; 3 times as long as wide; retrorsely scabrous; pubescent (woolly); with erect hairs; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 10 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; spreading, or reflexed; 10–16 cm long; 8–10 mm wide. Leaves 1–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect; 6–8 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10.5–13 cm long; 7–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 4–6 cm long. Rhachis angular; pilose on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.5 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.33 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 5.5 mm long; membranous; 9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7 mm long; 5 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 11 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex acute. Palea ovate; 8.5 mm long; 8 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 12 mm long; purple. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; ovoid; 3.5–4 mm long; light brown.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2001.

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