Rhipidocladum arenicola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 5–8 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 26 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate. Leaves 4–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 3.2–5.4 cm long; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4–0.5 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–10 cm long; 13–17 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; sinuous; bilateral; 16–23 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 6–7(–8) fertile spikelets on each. Spikelet packing lax. Rhachis internodes 20–40 mm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 44–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes (2–)4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4 mm long; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex obtuse; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 11 mm long; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 18.5–19 mm long; 13 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea 13 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 4–6 mm long. Anthers 3; 7–8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 6.5 mm long; dark brown; glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Tyrrell & Clark 2014.

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