Chusquea aspera

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 1000–1500 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal, or infravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; antrorsely scabrous. Leaves 6–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.5–7 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13–23 cm long; 20–32 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; secund; 13–38 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1.5–15 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous; glabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2–5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 11–15.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.9–2 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; pilose; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.3–4 mm long; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; pilose; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.5–6.4 mm long; chartaceous; 5–9 -veined; scabrous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7.7–11.6 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 10.2–13.6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9–13 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; inner surface scabrous (at apex). Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 10–12.4 mm long; 4–8 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface scabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 6–8 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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