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Descriptions

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

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

Otatea acuminata

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–1000 cm long; 10–25 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths yellow, or green, or purple; pilose; hairy above; with appressed hairs; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 3 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath blade linear; as wide as sheath at base; 6–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaves 4–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; deciduous; 0.5–3 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.6 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6–15 cm long; 5–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 30–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes zig-zag; 4–6 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 3.5–6.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume ovate; 4–9 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 2–7 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 11–15 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–6 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 5–6.5 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 6–8.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Meso-Am 1997.

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