Merostachys tatianae

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 1500–1700 cm long; 27–42 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 37–108 cm long; light green, or mid-green; distally hispid. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 23–42.5 cm long; hispid; hairy on margins; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 5–7 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; reflexed; 15–21 cm long; 15–25 mm wide; hispid. Leaves 10–16 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 3.5–5.4 cm long; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 0.5–1.5 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.8 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base symmetrical, or asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4–1.1 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 16.5–38 cm long; 31–64 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 2.8–11 cm long. Rhachis terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–16 mm long; 2.5–3.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 1.8–2.1 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.8–3 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent. Upper glume elliptic; 6–7 mm long; membranous; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein obscure. Upper glume surface asperulous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–14 mm long; 7–10 mm wide; cartilaginous; without keel; 15 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct, or prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous; puberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 9–13 mm long; cartilaginous; 7 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; 10–12 mm long; yellow.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Santos-Goncalves et al 2014.

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