Chusquea ibiramae

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5 mm long; acute. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; oblong, or ovate; 6–13 cm long; 30–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–12 secondary veins; without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–14 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle axis scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9 mm long; 1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1996.

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