Schizostachyum pilosum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect, or leaning; 1500 cm long; 30–50 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 30 cm long; distally pruinose and pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 30 cm long; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with white hairs, or tawny hairs; hairy on margins; auriculate; with 1 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 6–8 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate; 30 cm long; 40–50 mm wide; pubescent; attenuate. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 5 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–1 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 30–40 cm long; 37 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

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.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 24 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 8 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 16 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous; without keels. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; rudimentary.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; oblong.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Bam Sabah 1996.

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