Otatea reynosoana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short (10–30cm); pachymorph. Culms erect; erect at the tip, or inclined at the tip; 300–600 cm long; 8–9 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 11–19 cm long; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal; ascending. Branch complement one, or two; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths persistent; 16–31 cm long; 2 times as long as wide; glabrous; hairy on margins; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 7–17.3 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–2.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; constricted at base; deciduous; 8–23 cm long; glabrous on surface; attenuate. Leaves 4–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths without keel; hispid. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 5–11 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 27.5–39 cm long; 9.5–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 33 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; oblong; 18 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 6–29 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4.5–6.2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–6 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 4–6.8 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–9.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate; mucronate; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2.5–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11–13 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 11 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.8–5.6 mm long overall. Palea 9.7–11.7 mm long. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; trigonous; 5.8–7 mm long; dark brown; apex rostrate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Bambuseae. Ruiz-Sanchez & Clark 2012.

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