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.

Colanthelia burchellii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 200–300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 22 cm long; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2.5–5(–7) cm long; 6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation indistinct. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; moderately hairy, or densely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 2.5–5 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets deflexed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–6 mm long; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface hirsute. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 4 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface hirsute. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7 mm long; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex ciliate.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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