Chusquea angustifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long; 2–5 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; pubescent. Culm-sheath ligule 0.8–1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; as wide as sheath at base; 3 cm long; pubescent; acuminate. Leaves 10–13 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.8–1 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.1 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; revolute; 6–8 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface hispid; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 4–10 cm long; 0.5–1.3 cm wide. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–4 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3.5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.6–1.7 mm long; 0.25–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; 3.2–5 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 5 -veined; puberulous; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 5.5–6.6 mm long; 1.1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.4 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: northern South America and western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sod & Cald 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.