Chusquea huantensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 400–500 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–9 cm long; 9–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–10 cm long; 1.2–1.5 cm wide. Panicle branches pruinose; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous.

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 persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; without keels.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 6 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11–11.5 mm long; coriaceous; pruinose; without keel.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gr Peru 1997.

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