Nastus perrieri

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 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 lanceolate; 4–10 cm long; 4–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation prominent; with 26–28 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; 3–7 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 6.5 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; 2 mm long; chartaceous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume oblong; 3–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels. Palea surface puberulous. Palea apex obtuse. Rhachilla extension 3–3.5 mm long; pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; elliptic; 2–2.4 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6; 3 mm long. 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.