Myriocladus cardonae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes shorter and closely spaced at top of culm; terete. Lateral branches ample. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6–34 cm long; 20–55 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 1–1.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–30 cm long; pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma midvein thickened. Lemma surface with a median groove. Lemma apex obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Swallen 1996.

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