Valiha diffusa

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated; pachymorph. Culms erect; slender; inclined at the tip; 600–1000 cm long; 60–100 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–80 cm long; light green, or mid-green, or dark green; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a clump; apparently arising below the node; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths 16–20 cm long; 1 times as long as wide; pubescent; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear; constricted at base; erect; 5 cm long; pubescent; attenuate. Leaves 7–10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–8 cm long; 11–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; paniculate; 3–6 cm long; lax; with glumaceous subtending bracts; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; with 2-keeled prophylls.

Spikelets appressed, or ascending.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete, or laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 12–35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes. Rhachilla elongation 1–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 5–6 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1–2 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 15 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 15–20 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 23–27 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume margins eciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 18–26 mm long; 8–12 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 29–41 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 14–24 mm long; chartaceous; 16–22 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Rhachilla extension 0–3 mm long; pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–3 mm long; membranous; acute. Anthers 6; 15 mm long. Stigmas 3. Styles 15 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; oblong; 10 mm long. Embryo with basal plumule.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Dransfield 1998.

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