Rhipidocladum abregoense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 400–800 cm long; 1–3(–5) mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 50–75 cm long; mid-green and yellow; mottled; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; flabellate. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 4–5 cm long; 1.5–4 times as long as wide; puberulous; glabrous on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 0.2 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; deciduous; erect; 1 cm long. Leaves (2–)8–15 per branch. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 4–5 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.08–0.1 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–35 cm long; 1.8–2.3 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4–6 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially, or abaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 4.5–21 cm long; bearing 2–4(–5) fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis pubescent on surface. Rhachis internodes 10–26 mm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3–0.5 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 33–60 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5–7 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–1.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; 0.15–0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 12–18 mm long; 2–2.2 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–8 mm long overall. Palea 7.2–9 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.66 of their length adorned. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate; 0.8–1.5 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.8–4.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono & Clark 2003.

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