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Descriptions

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

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

Rhipidocladum parviflorum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate. Leaves 3–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2–2.5 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades linear; 5–8 cm long; 4.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 30–35 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 1.2–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis pubescent on surface. Rhachis internodes 3–5 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3.5 mm long; pubescent; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume subulate; 4 mm long; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate (above). Upper glume awned; 1 -awned.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–4 mm long overall. Palea linear, or oblong; 6–8 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Stapf 2001.

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