Ochlandra scriptoria

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300–500 cm long; 25 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 45 cm long; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths persistent; 10–15 cm long; 0.33 length of internode; purple; smooth; pubescent; hairy on margins; truncate at apex; auriculate; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliate. Culm-sheath blade linear; acuminate. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; deciduous. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–25 cm long; 10–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation with 10–20 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 25–30 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes several; 2–3 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–20 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules several; lanceolate; 7–13 mm long; membranous; veined. Anthers 15–18; anther tip apiculate. Filaments free. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; oblong. Endosperm farinose.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1996.

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