Pseudoxytenanthera monadelpha

HABIT Perennial; pluricaespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; pendulous at the tip; 400–800 cm long; 10–15 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Buds or branches present on lower quarter of culm. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches, or 1 branch dominant; as thick as stem (when 1 dominant), or thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; yellow, or purple; pilose; auriculate; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 10–20 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; spreading, or reflexed; 10–15 cm long; 15–20 mm wide; glabrous on surface; acuminate. Leaves 7–12 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.3–1.7 mm long; erose. Collar with external ligule; ciliate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 12–20 cm long; 20–30 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–3 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 13–16 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2 gemmiferous bracts; 2 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 10–11 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 10–11 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 13–16 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea chartaceous; 7 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex ciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 3 mm long; orange; anther tip penicillate. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1–3; pubescent. Ovary umbonate; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp (below); fusiform; 5 mm long. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sod & Ellis 1995.

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