Poaceae
Merostachys

Merostachys kleinii Send.

First published in Novon 5: 84 (1995)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Brazil (Santa Catarina). It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 20-35 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; thin-walled; grey; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many (50-120); flabellate. Leaves 4-5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; deciduous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.25 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3-9 cm long; 7-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 3-6 cm long; 20 mm wide; bearing 28-32 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis angular; pilose on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.
Sterile
Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 12-14 mm long; membranous; 15 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10 mm long; 6 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 16-17 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea lanceolate; 11-12 mm long; 12-14 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface glabrous. Rhachilla extension pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; ovoid; 6-7 mm long; yellow.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Sendulsky 2001.
[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: 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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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