Schizostachyum grande

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; drooping at the tip; 2000 cm long; 120 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 45–90 cm long; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Culm-sheaths 20–35 cm long; yellow, or green; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with white hairs; convex at apex; auriculate; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 4–8 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous; erect; 20–27 cm long; 100 mm wide; pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.8 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 30–60 cm long; 40–100 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; scanty; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 7 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3.5–5 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; 8 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; 10–12 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1995.

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