Streptostachys ramosa

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident (villous). Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths villous. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 150–200 cm long. Culm-internodes 8–20 cm long. Culm-nodes purple; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths 15–40 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs, or absent; 0.8–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 35–62 cm long; 10–14 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 30–45 cm long; 15–30 cm wide. Primary panicle branches not whorled, or whorled at lower nodes, or whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches stiff; pubescent in axils; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; with obtuse base; dorsally compressed; 6.9–9.3 mm long; 2.1–2.5 mm wide; falling entire. Spikelet callus square; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume and supplemented by thickened base of upper glume; 0.5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes and elongated below basal sterile floret. Rhachilla elongation stout.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.2–4.4 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5.3–8.1 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 5.4–7.9 mm long; indurate; pallid, or light brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface papillose; pubescent. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; indurate; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; 3.8 mm long; green (olivaceous). Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Zuloaga.

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