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.

Neohouzeaua kerriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect, or arching, or leaning; inclined at the tip; 400–800 cm long; 11 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 20–25 cm long; distally pilose. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 8–12 cm long; 2 length of internode; glabrous, or pilose; with tawny hairs; truncate at apex; auriculate; with 6 mm high auricles; with 21 mm wide auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 12 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; spreading, or reflexed; 12–15 cm long; 5–6 mm wide. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 3–5 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 10 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 1–1.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 22–30 cm long; 40–70 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 9 cm between clusters; glabrous on internodes; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 10–25 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters; 15–36 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 16–18 mm long; 8 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 13 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 6 mm long overall. Palea 15–20 mm long; chartaceous; 12 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above. Palea apex awned; awns 2 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; anther tip apiculate. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Dransfield 2004.

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