Schizostachyum funghomii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000 cm long; 40–60 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 20–40 cm long; antrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 15–30 cm long; pubescent; truncate at apex; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 2.5–4.3 cm long; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 18–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2–3 gemmiferous bracts; 0 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 21 mm long; chartaceous. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6; 5 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1996.

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