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 cornutum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; pendulous at the tip; 20–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 50–60 cm long; distally pruinose, or pilose. Lateral branches dendroid; arising from mid culm. Branch complement several; in a clump; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 12.5–14.5 cm long; 1.5 times as long as wide; glabrous; truncate at apex; auriculate; with obtuse auricles; with 4 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 7–8 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 6 mm high; dentate and ciliate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; narrower than sheath; erect, or spreading; 12–17 cm long; 12–18 mm wide; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 8–9 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1–2 mm long; obtuse, or acute. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 17–30 cm long; 47–53 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 14–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 8 mm long. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea 12 mm long; chartaceous; 2-keeled. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Rhachilla extension 4 mm long; glabrous. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 6 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Widjaja 2002.

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