Chusquea juergensii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; erect at the tip, or inclined at the tip; 200–400(–500) cm long; 7–15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 11–19 cm long; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal; ascending, or spreading. Bud complement 40–80. Branch complement many; in a clump. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 9–19.5 cm long; glabrous; glabrous on margins; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1–3 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 1.4–6 cm long; glabrous on surface, or scabrid; acuminate. Leaves 5–9 per branch. Leaf-sheaths deciduous; glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4.9–10.3 cm long; 5–12 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; without bracts, or bracteate at branch bases, or bracteate at pedicel base; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 1–3 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 6.9–8.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.05–0.2 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.1–0.4 mm long; 0.05 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 2.4–3.3 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1–3 -veined; without lateral veins, or distinctly veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 3.3–3.6 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 6.1–7.2 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 6.4–7.6 mm long; 4 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 4.2–4.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.7 mm long; purple; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 1996.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Leaf-sheaths spotted light green.

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