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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 ternata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 600–1200 cm long; 8–13 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; smooth; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 20–40 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong, or ovate; 15–32 cm long; 50–100 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 10–16 cm long. Rhachis pubescent on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; regular.
Spikelets pectinate; in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2–3 in the cluster.
STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; acuminate; 16 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 ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 8 mm long; obtuse; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 14 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface puberulous. 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.
