Chusquea cumingii

HABIT Perennial. Culms 200–500 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–8 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear, or elliptic; 2.5–7 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1–2 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–3 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled. 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; 4 mm long; chartaceous; 3–5 -veined; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 5–7 mm long; 4 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Sant de Chile 2001.

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