Nastus manongarivensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 200 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 7–8.5 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 30–34 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–8 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear; 10–20 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 4 empty glumes; lower persistent, upper deciduous (with floret); shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3 mm long; chartaceous; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 11 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 5 mm long; coriaceous; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex obtuse. Rhachilla extension 6 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; elliptic; 2 mm long.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 1996.

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