Ochlandra talbotii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; drooping at the tip; 300–600 cm long; 12–18 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths smooth; hairy on margins; auriculate; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade linear. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; smooth. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base cordate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20–26 cm long; 30–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 20 secondary veins. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters; 10–20 cm long overall.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 40 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3–4 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 10–19 mm long. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy at apex. Upper glume hairs white. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 28 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules several (6–7); linear; 6–7 mm long; membranous. Anthers 26–40. Filaments free. Stigmas 5. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; ovoid; 78 mm long; glabrous; cuspidate. Endosperm farinose.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Seeth. & Kumar 2002.

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