Chusquea grandiflora

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 900–1800 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth, or antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 4–17 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–20 cm long; 7–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

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

Panicle open; oblong; 6–11 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–3 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches angular; pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–2 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.7–12.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.4 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2–4.8 mm long; 0.25–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface asperulous. 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 elliptic; 5.2–6.7 mm long; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; scaberulous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 7–9.5 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; setaceously attenuate. Fertile lemma ovate; 8.4–10.9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate. Palea 6.9–10.2 mm long; 6–8 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 4.3–5.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana and western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 1995.

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