Chusquea deficiens

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; 300–400 cm long; 7–8 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 10–25 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Leaves 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long; petiole pilose. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–9 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Panicle open; pyramidal; 5–7 cm long. Panicle axis puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 11–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure, or two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.2 mm long; 0.02 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.5–6 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; puberulous; hairy above; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–2 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5.5–6 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acuminate; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1–2 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 4–6 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Parodi 1996.

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