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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Drepanostachyum khasianum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 250–400 cm long; 12 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 15–20 cm long; dark green, or black; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 15–23 cm long; 4–5 times as long as wide; chartaceous; smooth; concave at apex. Culm-sheath ligule 5–7 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; 2.5 cm long. Leaf-sheaths striately veined. Ligule an eciliate membrane; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 7–10 cm long; 7–8 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 4–6 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary; subtended by bracts.

Panicle open. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–12 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; pubescent; hairy above.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume elliptic; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4 -veined. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 12 mm long; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Gamble 1995.

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