Schizostachyum iraten

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; drooping at the tip; 600–1000 cm long; 20–50 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 70–120 cm long; light green; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Culm-sheaths persistent; 20–28 cm long; 1.6–2 times as long as wide; yellow, or green; pubescent; with tawny hairs; truncate at apex; auriculate; with 7 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 3 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade linear; deciduous; spreading, or reflexed; 11–30 cm long; 10–15 mm wide; pubescent (near base); attenuate. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–45 cm long; 15–90 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 1–3 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 17–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; chartaceous; without keels. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; rudimentary.

FLOWER Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; oblong.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Prosea 1996.

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