Schizostachyum hainanense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning, or scandent; pendulous at the tip; 800–2000 cm long; 20–40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 35–75 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 12–22 cm long; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 10–15 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 9–10 mm high; fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafy between clusters, or leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 3–4 gemmiferous bracts; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea; ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 12 mm long; chartaceous. Palea surface scabrous. Rhachilla extension 0.75 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; male.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6; 7 mm long. Stigmas 2–3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1996.

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