Poaceae
Merostachys

Merostachys retrorsa McClure

First published in Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10(5): 6 (1964)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Venezuela to Guyana. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: low confidence
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 200-250 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; flabellate. Leaf-sheaths papillose; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 5-10 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2-0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades oblong, or ovate; 10-20 cm long; 20-38 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; bracteate at pedicel base. Peduncle 6-17 cm long. Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 4-8 cm long. Rhachis angular; villous on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous. Rhachis internodes 2-10 mm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-2 mm long; ciliate.
Sterile
Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 16-17 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 lanceolate; laterally compressed; 16-17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; clasping; 6-7 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8-9 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 13-14 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; rounded except near apex. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea surface pilose; hairy above. Rhachilla extension 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 3-4 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.
Distribution
South America: northern South America.
Reference
Bambuseae. McClure 2001.
[GB]

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