Chusquea culeou

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–700 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule an eciliate membrane; obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; revolute; 2.5–8 cm long; 4–8 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 3–6 cm long; 1.5–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 6–8 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; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. 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 ovate; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; purple; 3 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 6–8.5 mm long; 1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 9–10 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.2–1.7 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 4–6 mm long; light brown; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Pat 1995.

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