Platycaulos mahonii
Plant descriptions 2
Plants tufted, often forming cushions or mats to 1 m deep. Culms branching, cylindric, 30–60(–200) cm high, 1–2(–3) mm in diameter at base, branched from the middle, glabrous, rugulose, the terminal branchlets sometimes compressed; sheaths tubular, 8–20 mm long, with broad hyaline upper margins, ending in an awn to 10 mm long (but mostly broken and appearing less than 1 mm long in dried material). Inflorescences of♂plants composed of 1–8 spikelets arranged in small racemes 2.5–4 cm long, those of♀plants of 1–4 spikelets; lowermost spikelets distant. Spikelets oblong, 5–10 mm long, 3–4 mm in diameter, hardly compressed, 1–8-flowered. Spathe similar to the sheath, 5–12 mm long, 2–2.5 mm wide, shortly mucronate. Bracts loosely embracing the flowers, lanceolate, 4–9 mm long, acute to mucronate, membranous on the upper margins. Flowers shortly pedicellate, the pedicels < 1 mm long, villous. Perianth segments lanceolate to triangular, 3–5 mm long, cartilaginous, glabrous, the dorsal tepal flat and acute, the laterals conduplicate and very acute, puberulous outside; inner segments slightly ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–4 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, acute. Male flowers: stamens with flattened filament, the anther oblong, 1.5–3 mm long, acute, exserted at anthesis; pistillode very short, topped by 3 style rudiments. Female flowers: ovary globose, 2-chambered, with prominent lateral sutures; styles 3, widely spaced, plumose; staminodes 3, ± 1 mm. Fruit a capsule, almost lenticular, 2–2.5 mm long, ± 2 mm in diameter, with two 1-seeded locules, coriaceous; seed triangular in section.
Elevation 2
1 500 - 2 500 m.
Similar species 2
Syn. Hypolaena mahonii ; Restio mahonii.
Reference 2
H. PERRIER DE LA BATHIE, 1946. 34è Famille - Restoniaceae. Flore de Madagascar (Plantes vasculaires). Ed. Imprimerie Officielle Tananarive. 9 p.
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (2005) Author: H. J. Beentje, M.Sc., Ph.D., F.L.S.
Sources and Credits
- no rights reserved, uploaded by Romer Rabarijaona
- (c) Romer Rabarijaona, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Taxonomy:family | Restionaceae |
|---|---|
| Plant growth form | Forb or herb |
| Vegetation | Inselbergs, Wetlands, Wooded grassland mosaic |
