Atractantha cardinalis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; pendulous at the tip; 1000–1500 cm long; 5–13 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; dark green, or black; retrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent, or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 13–33 cm long; 10 times as long as wide; with basal lobes; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous; glabrous on margins; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 5–10 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; deciduous; erect, or spreading, or reflexed; 3–13 cm long; 1–13 mm wide; attenuate. Leaves 5–13 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 3–8 mm long; pale. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 6–11 cm long; 4–8 mm wide; dark green and light green; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; paniculate; 3–6 cm long; lax; with glumaceous subtending bracts and foliaceous subtending bracts; bracts 70–200 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 29–35 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 29–35 mm long; 1.8–2.3 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface with distinct germination flap; pubescent. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Judziewicz 2000.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Branches subtended by green bracts; culm-sheath girdle glabrous or bearded.

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