Chusquea falcata

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching, or scandent; 150–300 cm long; 10–15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 30–60. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 17–80 cm long; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 1.2–2.7 cm long; pubescent. Leaves 3–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.6 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.2 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades linear; 7.8–20 cm long; 4–8.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage.

Panicle open; linear; 7–16 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2–3 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; glabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–4 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; curved; laterally compressed; 5.1–6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4–0.9 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.8 mm long; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1.6–2.9 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.7–4 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.3–5.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4.2–5.3 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.8–2.1 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7 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.