Chusquea foliosa

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 300–2000 cm long; 20–50 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 22–38 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 50–80. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 10–25 cm long; 2 times as long as wide; smooth; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 1–3 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 1.4–8 cm long; pubescent and with ciliate margins. Leaves 2–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–1.5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule; glabrous. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 9–39 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 7–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 4–5 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1.5–5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8.8–11.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.9 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5–8.4 mm long; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5–8.4 mm long; chartaceous; 3–5 -veined; scabrous; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7.6–11 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.9–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; inner surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 7.4–9.1 mm long; 4–6 -veined. Palea surface scabrous; pilose; hairy on margins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–1.4 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.3–4.1 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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