GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Ampelocalamus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short (5), or elongated (9); leptomorph (9), or pachymorph (5). Culms erect (9/13), or leaning (1/13), or scandent (3/13); 100–452.1–1000 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes flush with internodes (1/7), or swollen (6/7). Lateral branches fastigiate (1), or suffrutescent (1), or dendroid (12). Branch complement several (10/11), or many (2/11); in an irregular line (2/4), or in a clump (2/4); with subequal branches (1/4), or 1 branch dominant (4/4), or 2 branches dominant (1/4). Culm-sheaths persistent (4/10), or tardily deciduous (4/10), or deciduous (3/10); without auricles (8/9), or auriculate (1/9). Culm-sheath blade linear (7/12), or lanceolate (9/12); narrower than sheath (1/1). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (9), or erect (1), or falcate (4). Ligule an eciliate membrane (3), or a ciliolate membrane (10), or a ciliate membrane (2). Leaf-blade base without a false petiole (1), or with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath (13). Leaf-blades persistent (4), or deciduous at the ligule (10); linear (2), or lanceolate (12), or oblong (2); herbaceous (6), or chartaceous (7), or coriaceous (1). Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous (1/1). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (11), or with obscure cross veins (3). Leaf-blade apex muticous (13), or pungent (1).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple (5/6), or bractiferous (1/6); clustered at the nodes (1/1); in globose clusters (1/1); with glumaceous subtending bracts (1/1); with axillary buds at base of spikelet (1/1); leafless between clusters (1/1). Inflorescence a panicle (1/5), or composed of racemes (2/5), or comprising only a few spikelets (2/5); terminal (3/5), or terminal and axillary (2/5); subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath (2/5), or bracts (3/5). Spatheole cymbiform or tubular (2/3), or glumaceous (1/3).

Panicle open (1/1).

Racemes single (1/2), or paired (1/2); bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each (1/1).

Spikelets solitary (4/4). Fertile spikelets sessile (2/6), or pedicelled (4/6).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (1/6), or 2 fertile florets (2/6), or 3 fertile florets (5/6), or 4–5 fertile florets (4/6), or 6 fertile florets (2/6), or 7 fertile florets (1/6); with a barren rhachilla extension (1/6), or with diminished florets at the apex (5/6). Spikelets linear (1/6), or lanceolate (2/6), or oblong (2/6), or ovate (1/6); laterally compressed (6/6); 8.3–21.94–60 mm long; breaking up at maturity (6/6); disarticulating below each fertile floret (6/6). Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets (1/6), or definite (5/6).

GLUMES Glumes two (5/6), or several (1/6); persistent (6/6); shorter than spikelet (6/6). Lower glume lanceolate (4/5), or oblong (1/5); 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous (3/4), or herbaceous (1/4); without keels (5/5); 3–5 -veined (2/2). Lower glume surface without pits (6/6). Lower glume apex acute (1/4), or acuminate (3/4). Upper glume lanceolate (4/6), or oblong (1/6), or ovate (1/6); 0.5–0.55–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous (3/4), or herbaceous (1/4); without keels (5/5); 4 -veined (1/2), or 5 -veined (2/2). Upper glume apex acute (1/5), or acuminate (4/5).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (4/6), or ovate (1/6), or orbicular (1/6); chartaceous (4/5), or herbaceous (1/5); without keel (4/5), or keeled (1/5); wingless (6/6); 7 -veined (5/6), or 8 -veined (3/6), or 9 -veined (4/6), or 10–11 -veined (2/6). Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (5/6), or scaberulous (1/6). Lemma surface unwrinkled (6/6); without grooves (6/6); glabrous (5/6), or pubescent (1/6). Lemma margins eciliate (5/6), or ciliate (1/6). Lemma apex acute (3/6), or acuminate (3/6). Palea membranous (5/6), or chartaceous (1/6); 4 -veined (1/3), or 10–11 -veined (1/3); 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels (1/6), or 2-keeled (5/6). Palea keels eciliate (5/6), or ciliate (1/6). Palea surface glabrous (5/6), or pubescent (1/6). Palea apex dentate (2/2). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (5/5).

FLOWER Lodicules absent (1/6), or 1 (1/6), or 2 (1/6), or 3 (5/6); membranous (1/1); glabrous (3/6), or ciliate (3/6). Anthers 3 (5/6), or 6 (1/6). Stigmas 1 (1/6), or 2 (2/6), or 3 (3/6). Ovary unappendaged (5/6), or umbonate (1/6); glabrous (1/2), or pubescent on apex (1/2).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (5/5); oblong (1/1); apex unappendaged (2/2).

DISTRIBUTION Temperate Asia, or Tropical Asia (1).

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