Schizostachyum terminale

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Culm-sheaths 13 cm long; puberulous; with appressed hairs; with white hairs; triangular at apex; auriculate; with 2 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath blade triangular; 8 cm long; 10 mm wide. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 5 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 16–20 cm long; 27–42 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. 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; leafy between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 40–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–7 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 5 mm long; veined; glabrous. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1995.

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