Otatea ximenae

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short (3–9 cm); pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–300 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 20.5–29 cm long; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal; ascending. Branch complement three; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 9.5–12.5 cm long; 3 times as long as wide; glabrous; hairy on margins; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 4.5–12.8 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1.1–1.8 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; reflexed; 1.6–7.5 cm long; with ciliate margins; attenuate. Leaves 3–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 4.3–6 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05 cm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 19–27 cm long; 7–10.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–5 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 5–25 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 17–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.5–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 9–15 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.3–7 mm long overall. Palea 8.3–11 mm long. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–1.3 mm long. Anthers 3; 6.5–7.4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Bambuseae. Ruiz-Sanchez & Clark 2012.

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