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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 pluriflora
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; deciduous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–0.6 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades oblong; 12–25 cm long; 20–27 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 5–7 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; 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 20–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume orbicular; 1.5 mm long; chartaceous; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 9 mm long; pallid; sulcate; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. 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.
