Schizostachyum insulare

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 600–1200 cm long; 75 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 6 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 30 cm long; 37 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; bracts 12 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters; 30 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3 mm long; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 1-keeled. Upper glume mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 20 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface hispid; hairy above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous; without keels. Rhachilla extension 13 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate; 6 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 4; anther tip smooth. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Ridley 2002.

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