Schizostachyum rogersii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching, or leaning; 900 cm long; 19 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 7.6–10 cm long; auriculate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; 10 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 18–23 cm long; 25–38 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; 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; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 2–4 empty glumes.

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

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6; 4 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; ellipsoid.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Seeth. & Kumar 2002.

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