Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect, rhizomatous perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems terete (cylindrical) or compressed, hollow except at nodes, unbranched, glabrous.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Base sheath open, covering internode, pubescent in upper part, glabrate with age. Veins parallel. Sheathing. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in pyramidal, 3–5–branched panicles 10–40 cm long, bracts of branches triangular, membranous, caducous, bracteoles triangular to subulate, much smaller than bracts. Flowers relatively small and inconspicuous, bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Tepals 6, in 2 imbricate series, scarious to chartaceous, spreading in fruit, thickened at base, apex sometimes splitting with age, margins 1 minutely ciliate, outer Tepals ovate to orbicular–ovate or deltate–lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate, inner Tepals orbicular–ovate or deltate–lanceolate to ovate, apex retuse to acute or acuminate. Stamens 6, distinct; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits, sagittate. Ovary superior, 3-carpellate, with as many cells, placentation axile; ovules 1 per cell, pendulous, orthotropous; styles 3, terminal, distinct or connate at base; stigmas plumose.

Fruit: Fruit green; becoming red; reddish orange; or brownish black at maturity; exocarp thin; sometimes becoming crustaceous; mesocarp fleshy; endocarp hard and bony. Seeds 1–3; globose; rugulose.

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