Nastus emirnensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 1–2 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 15 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear; 5–10 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 2–3 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 4 empty glumes; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; chartaceous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous. Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2-keeled. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; elliptic.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 2002.

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