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.

Merostachys argentea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 1500–1600 cm long; 23–26 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 18–19 cm long; 2 times as long as wide; yellow; retrorsely scabrous; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 30 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; deciduous; reflexed; 7–9 cm long; 5–6 mm wide; attenuate. Leaves 7–13 per branch. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect; 10 mm long; pale. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–10 cm long; 7–8 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade venation with 4–6 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Flowering specimens unknown.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2002.

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