New! - Search other data sources for Thamnocalamus spathiflorus

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Thamnocalamus spathiflorus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 400–700 cm long; 20–25 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; glaucous; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; coriaceous; glabrous; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high; ciliate. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; dark. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; scarious. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9–13 cm long; 10–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; 10–15 cm long; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 50–70 mm long; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; with ultimate bract subtending a compact bracteolate fascicle of spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 30–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–25 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–25 mm long; 1.2–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 12–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 13–15 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–4 mm long overall. Palea 4 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinarieae. WDC.

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