Rhipidocladum prestoei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching, or leaning; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate. Leaves 1–2 per branch. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking; deciduous. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; 6–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 4–5 cm long; bearing 8–10 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblanceolate; laterally compressed; 15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3–4 empty glumes; persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Palea 9 mm long; 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface puberulous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Urban 2001.

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