Poaceae
Merostachys

Merostachys claussenii Munro

First published in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 26: 48 (1868)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Brazil (Minas Gerais, Paraná) to NE. Argentina. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 500-700 cm long; 3-4 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 4-6 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 5-18 cm long; 10-25 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 4-9 cm long. Rhachis pubescent on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; regular. Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Sterile
Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12-14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12-14 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 ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12-14 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 12-14 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; linear; 2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.
Distribution
South America: Brazil and southern South America.
Reference
Bambuseae. Parodi 1997.
[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

    • 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 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