Chusquea latifolia

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms scandent; 2000–4000 cm long; 7–15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 25–39 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 3. Branch complement two, or three; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 15.2–16.5 cm long; 1.8–3 times as long as wide; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous; 1.1–3.5 cm long; pubescent and with ciliate margins; acuminate. Leaves 5–9 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–15 mm long; scarious; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.9 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13.3–32.1 cm long; 30–85 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; serrulate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 20.5–42.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 3–9 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous. Panicle branches angular; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 8.2–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.3 mm long; 0.2–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 2.4–2.5 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.2–4.2 mm long; chartaceous; 7–9 -veined; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4.4–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–10.6 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 9.3–9.6 mm long; 6–8 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2.5–2.7 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.5–5.2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Central branch bud triangular.

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