|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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.
Merostachys magnispicula
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; flabellate. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Leaf-sheaths tight. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 10 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or elliptic; 15–30 cm long; 28–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 8–12 cm long. Rhachis angular; puberulous on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels puberulous.
STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 13–15 mm long; 4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 9 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent; transversely connected at apex. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 11–12 mm long; membranous; 17 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; 5 mm wide; cartilaginous; yellow; shiny; without keel; 15–17 -veined. Lemma lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Lemma margins woolly; hairy above. Lemma hairs white. Lemma apex acute. Palea 11 mm long; cartilaginous; 11 -veined. Palea keels woolly; adorned above. Palea surface woolly; hairy on margins; hairy above. Rhachilla extension 6.5 mm long.
FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
