Merostachys

Merostachys is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to South America.

Description

These are short to tall bamboos; with pachymorphic rhizomes. Woody, slender, cylindrical, fistulous stems, generally with a band of white trichomes below the nodal line; branches generally numerous, fan-shaped ascending from a flattened, triangular adnate meristem. Stem leaves usually with sheaths promptly deciduous, auriculate; blades narrow, reflexed, rarely erect. Branch leaves pseudopetiolate, with external and internal ligules; blades flattened, lanceolate to ovate, asymmetric. Inflorescence a unilateral spike or raceme, terminal on the foliar branches, sometimes on short leafless branches, the spikelets solitary or paired, in 2 or 4 rows on the underside of the rachis, pectinally arranged. Spikelets generally 1 glume, the lower glume absent, the upper one shorter than the spikelet, rarely rudimentary; lower floret sterile; disarticulation above the sterile floret and between the fertile florets; fertile florets bisexual, usually 1, rarely up to 10; edgeless lemma; palea sulcate between keels, 6-8-veined, keels tightly embracing upper rachilla internode; uppermost rachilla internode elongated, with a rudimentary terminal floret; lodicules 3, flattened; anthers 3; styles 2, separate, the stigmas feathery.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel and published in Systema Vegetabilium, editio decima sixtha 1: 132, 249. 1824. The type species is: Merostachys speciosa Kunth

Species

• Merostachys abadiana Send. 1995
• Merostachys brevispica Munro 1868
• Merostachys clausenii Munro 1868
• Merostachys glabra R.W.Pohl
• Merostachys latifolia R.W.Pohl
• Merostachys multiramea Hack.
• Merostachys pauciflorus Swallen
• Merostachys speciosa Kunth