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.

Myriocladus longiramosus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300–500 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades ovate; 11–16 cm long; 25–50 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; ascending; straight; unilateral; 9–14 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 40–45 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis glabrous on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 2–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 0.4 mm long; scabrous. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.7 mm long. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 2.8–3.5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; with conspicuous midvein; obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–4.6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma midvein thickened. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 5 mm long. Palea surface glabrous. Palea apex obtuse; undifferentiated, or pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

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.