Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Ochlandra Thwaites

Ochlandra travancorica (Bedd.) Gamble

This species is accepted, and its native range is S. India.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200-600 cm long; 25-50 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; thin-walled; 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence bractiferous; linear; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 50-65 mm long; 12-15 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 50-65 mm long; 12-15 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; oblong; 50 mm long. Endosperm farinose.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Bambuseae. Gamble 1996.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 400-500 cm long; 20-35 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; thin-walled; 41-51 cm long; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths persistent; 15-19 cm long; chartaceous; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 3 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; 7-13.5 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base truncate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3-0.6 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12-28 cm long; 23-47 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 12 secondary veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; subterete; 20-48 mm long; 5-9 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; subterete; 20-48 mm long; 5-9 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes several; comprising 2 gemmiferous bracts; 3-4 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 9-28 mm long; 48 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 20-30 mm long; 17 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 40-70 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 20-28 mm long; 33 -veined; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 40-68; 13 mm long; yellow. Filaments free. Stigmas 7. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage (50mm); glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; ovoid; 100 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Bambuseae. Muktesh et al 2005.
Diagnostic
Palea with cross-veins.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; 400-500 cm long; 18 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; thin-walled; 36 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 18 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2-0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8-22 cm long; 12-25 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 14-20 secondary veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 40 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets. Spikelets ovate; subterete; 40 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes two; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 8 mm long. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 15 mm long. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 30 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 32 mm long; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules several (6); 1.5 mm long; membranous; veined. Anthers 27-32; anther tip apiculate. Filaments free. Stigmas 5. Ovary with a steeple-like appendage.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp. Endosperm farinose.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Bambuseae. Seeth. & Kumar 2002.

Native to:

India

Introduced into:

Puerto Rico

Ochlandra travancorica (Bedd.) Gamble appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Sep 4, 1939 s.coll. [s.n.], India K000912063 Yes
Barber, C.A., India 22197.000 No
Bourdillon, T.F., India 22482.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7190(a)], India 22483.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7190(f)], India 22484.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7178], India 22485.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7176(a)], India 22699.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7190(e)], India 22700.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7176(e)], India 22701.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7176(d)], India 22702.000 No
Barber, C.A. [7176(b)], India 22703.000 No
Beddome, R.H. [s.n.] K000912062 Unknown type material Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K000912064 Yes
Beddome, R.H. [87], India K000912060 Yes
Beddome, R.H. [87], India K000912061 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K000912065 Yes

First published in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 7: 125 (1896)

Accepted by

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Karthikeyan, S., Jain, S.K., Nayar, M.P. & Sanjappa, M. (1989). Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae: 1-435. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Karthikeyan, S., Jain, S.K., Nayar, M.P. & Sanjappa, M. (1989). Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae: 1-435. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    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 Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0