|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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.
Bergbambos tessellata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated (internodes 25–30cm); pachymorph. Culms erect; 100–500 cm long; 20 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; glabrous; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; scarious; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 8–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hardened.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; 40 cm long; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 40 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 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 15.4–17.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 9.9–11.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–15 mm long; 1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 9–13 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 11–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 10–11 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea oblong; 10–12.5 mm long; 11 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; oblong; 1.8–2.4 mm long; scarious; ciliate; hairy across the apex. Anthers 3; 7.2–8.5 mm long; orange. Stigmas 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: south and western Indian ocean.
NOTES Arundinarieae. Sod & Ellis 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
