Otatea glauca

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 800 cm long; 30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 27–30 cm long; glaucous; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal; ascending, or spreading. Branch complement three; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 14–22 cm long; 1.3–1.9 times as long as wide; hispid; hairy above; glabrous on margins; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 2.5–11.5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 0.4–0.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous; reflexed; 3.5–8.2 cm long; pubescent; attenuate. Leaves 4–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled (weakly); glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 2.5–6 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; filiform; 10–16 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 2–7 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear, or ovate; loose; 4–9 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2.5–5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 30–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3.5–5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.7–6 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.3–3.6 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5–9 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11–15 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 11–15 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–5 mm long overall. Palea 14–15.4 mm long; 6 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; winged; narrowly winged; scabrous. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark & Cortes 2006.

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