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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Oligostachyum nuspiculum

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 200 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen; glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base simple; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.3 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–14.5 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 50 mm long; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; with ultimate bract subtending a compact bracteolate fascicle of spikelets; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 12–20 mm long; smooth; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 50–70 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6 mm long; pilose; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes several; 4 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 3.5–5 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse; mucronate. Upper glume elliptic; 7.5–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 9–9.5 mm long. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Palea surface glabrous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. McClure 1996.

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