Rhipidocladum clarkiae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 1000–1200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 3–6 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 0.4–0.7 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.4–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 3–9 cm long; 4–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 9–13 cm long; bearing 7–8 fertile spikelets on each. Spikelet packing distant.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume subulate; 2.5–4.5 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 4–6.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–4.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–6 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 4.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Mesoamericana 2001.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Branch complement 75–130.

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