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 distans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–2000 cm long; 80–100 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 120–150 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 24–30 cm long; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with yellow hairs. Culm-sheath blade triangular; 35–40 cm long; 50–100 mm wide; acuminate. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–7 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 1 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 30–50 cm long; 50–60 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 15–16 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; 5–6 cm between clusters; pubescent on internodes; 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 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 20–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 20 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several. Upper glume ovate; 3–10 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 20–24 mm long; 10 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea; ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 26 mm long; chartaceous; 16–18 -veined. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 10–12 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; 14 mm long. Filaments united in groups; 26 mm long. Stigmas 3. Styles 30–50 mm long. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gr Burma 1997.

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