GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Schizostachyum caudatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; drooping at the tip; 600–1000 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 12–20 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths persistent; 9–18 cm long; hispid; with dark brown hairs, or black hairs; convex at apex; auriculate; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–1 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect; 3.5–6 cm long; pubescent; acuminate. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 30–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 10–15 cm long; 0.8–2.5 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–8.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 16–18 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–2.5 mm long overall. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 8.5–10.5 mm long; chartaceous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; ciliate; awned; awns 1.5 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3.5–4 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; 3.5–4.5 mm long; yellow. Styles 8–10 mm long. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; obovoid; 5.5–6 mm long; light brown.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Bakker 2005.

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