Rhipidocladum ampliflorum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement in a clump; subtended by a bare patch above the node; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10–20 mm long. Ligule absent. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–13 cm long; 6–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 8–10 secondary veins; without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 5–10 cm long; bearing 7–9 fertile spikelets on each. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 30–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; 5–7 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous to pubescent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2.5–3.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous to pubescent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2.5–4 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 15–19 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 13–15 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 7–9 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 10–12 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 4–5 mm long; veined. Anthers 3; 8–10 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary umbonate; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1995.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Rhachilla internode tip discoid.

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