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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 multiramea
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1200–1500 cm long; 30–40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 30–60 cm long; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; flabellate; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; constricted at base; reflexed. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; deciduous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades oblong; 5–13 cm long; 8–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis pubescent on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1–2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.4 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 15–17 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 10–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma hairs red. Lemma apex acute. Palea linear; 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate. Rhachilla extension 0.7–0.8 length of fertile floret.
FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; apex unappendaged.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Cat.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
