Schizostachyum jaculans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 600–700 cm long; 20–35 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 50–80(–125) cm long; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Culm-sheaths 15–30 cm long; pubescent; with erect hairs; with tawny hairs; truncate at apex; auriculate; with 1 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 8–12 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; 10–25 cm long; 7–18 mm wide. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; 5–10 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.7 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–30 cm long; 12–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially.

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; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several. Upper glume ovate; 6 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 16 mm long; chartaceous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 6–6.5 mm long. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 3; purple. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

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

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1995.

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