Chusquea antioquensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching, or leaning; pendulous at the tip; 400–1500 cm long; 13–55 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 25–42 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 20.5–46.5 cm long; retrorsely scabrous; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2.5 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect; 9.7–21 cm long; scabrid (below); acuminate. Leaves 4–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.2 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 17–27 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; serrulate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by bracts (1.5–2mm). Peduncle 1.5–9 cm long.

Panicle open; linear; 13–19 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis angular; scabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7.9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.7 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–0.7 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.3–6.2 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 7 -veined; scabrous; rough above; setaceously attenuate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 6.2–7.1 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; setaceously attenuate. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.6–7.9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above and between veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea 7.3–7.6 mm long; 6 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.9–1.1 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 4.8 mm long; dark brown; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.12 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono 2001.

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