Schizostachyum khoonmengii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–2000 cm long; 30–80 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–60 cm long; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 12–15 cm long; 1 times as long as wide; yellow, or green; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; hairy on margins; truncate at apex; auriculate; with 5 mm high auricles; with 9–10 mm wide auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 5–6 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; narrower than sheath; 9–11 cm long; 50 mm wide; pubescent; acuminate. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pubescent; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 8–12 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 3–6 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.6–1 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 30–40 cm long; 40–80 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 13–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate. Upper glume ovate; 6–7 mm long. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9–10 mm long; 6 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 11 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea; ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3 mm long overall. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 14 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins; hairy above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Rhachilla extension 10 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; rudimentary, or lanceolate; 1–5 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 2002.

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