Merostachys skvortzovii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; drooping at the tip; 400–600 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; mid-green and dark green; striped; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 15–20 cm long; 3 times as long as wide; auriculate; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; reflexed; 6–10 cm long; 10 mm wide. Leaves 5–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 5–6 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–11 cm long; 6–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–8 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 1.5–3 cm long; bearing 16–18 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis pilose on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; regular.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; acuminate; 10–12 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough at apex; puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9 mm long; 6 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 16–18 -veined. Lemma lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma margins ciliate. Palea 10 mm long; chartaceous; 13–14 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; ciliolate. Rhachilla extension 8 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2–3 mm long. Anthers 3; 6 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; ovoid; 5 mm long; grey; smooth; apex rostrate. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2001.

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