Nastus madagascariensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 15–20 cm long; 6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 20–22 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 15–17 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 13–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 5–7 empty glumes; lower persistent, upper deciduous (with floret); shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; chartaceous; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 7–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 11 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 9 mm long; 0.9 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex acute. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; elliptic; 0.5 mm long.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 1996.

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