Nastus humbertianus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; 1500 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; flat, or conduplicate; 8–14 cm long; 1.5–4 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation with 18 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 5–6 empty glumes; lower persistent, upper deciduous (with floret); shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; chartaceous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 6–6.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy above. Upper glume apex dentate; 3 -fid; truncate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 6.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above. Palea apex obtuse. Rhachilla extension 9 mm long; pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; elliptic.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 1996.

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