Poaceae
Olyra

Olyra wurdackii Swallen

First published in Phytologia 14: 85 (1966)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Venezuela to N. Brazil. It is a herbaceous bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 100-400 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes thin-walled; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; pubescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 4-8 mm long; brown. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 26 cm long; 52 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation parallel. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Panicle open; ovate; 15-30 cm long; 20-25 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; whorled at lower nodes; bearing 2-5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches villous. Sexes segregated; on bisexual branches; with male below. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels (female) linear; angular; ciliate; tip widened.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7-7.5 mm long; 2.2-2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 7-7.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume surface smooth, or scabrous; inner surface pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous. Upper glume elliptic; 7-7.5 mm long; 1.3-1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous; inner surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 5.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface smooth; glabrous. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea indurate; without keels. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above; with turgid hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 4-4.3 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Disseminule comprising a floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; lanceolate; 8.9-11.5 mm long; glabrous. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; awned; with 2.5-4 mm long awn. Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7-7.5 mm long; 2.2-2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret.
sex Male
Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; lanceolate; 8.9-11.5 mm long; glabrous. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; awned; with 2.5-4 mm long awn.
Distribution
South America: northern South America.
Reference
Olyreae. Sod & Zuol.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0