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.

Dendrocalamus merrillianus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 14–22 cm long; 20–40 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 18 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in globose clusters; 0.6–0.8 cm long; dense; 0.7–1 cm between clusters; glabrous on internodes; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between branches.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes 5 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume orbicular; 2 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 2 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; 3 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 17–19 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels ciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 3 mm long; anther tip apiculate. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Hackel 2002.

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