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.

Ochlandra travancorica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–600 cm long; 25–50 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 45–60 cm long; grey; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 15–20 cm long; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with tawny hairs, or black hairs; hairy on margins; truncate at apex; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 7.5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule entire. Culm-sheath blade linear; 4–8 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; 20–25 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical, or asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.7–1 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 9–30 cm long; 50–120 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 24–34 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; linear; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 50–65 mm long; 12–15 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2–4 gemmiferous bracts; 3 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 30 mm long. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 50 mm long. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 50 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 12–15 mm long; membranous; veined. Anthers 100–120; 25 mm long; anther tip apiculate and pubescent. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 5–6. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; oblong; 50 mm long. Endosperm farinose.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1996.

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