Chusquea deflexa

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long; 4–8 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 6–12 cm long; yellow; smooth; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes swollen; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal; erect. Bud complement 7–15. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous. Leaves 4–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; obtuse, or acute. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades erect; lanceolate; 7.5–13.5 cm long; 10–22 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Panicle contracted; oblong; secund; 7–11 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1–1.5 cm long. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches angular; puberulous.

Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–3 mm long; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5.5–6.4 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; 0.6–1 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.9–1.5 mm long; 0.2–0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or distinct. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4.2 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 3–5 -veined; scabrous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4.4–4.8 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; inner surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 5.7 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.2 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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