Chusquea lehmannii

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching; pendulous at the tip; 300–800 cm long; 15–75 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; 24–31 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant and interspersed leafless fibrillar branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 6.4–23 cm long; glabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 2–6 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; cordate; erect; 1.9–20.5 cm long; glabrous on surface, or scabrid; acuminate. Leaves 6–10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.4 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9.9–33 cm long; 6–17 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 11–35 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 3–11 cm long. Panicle axis flat; glabrous, or puberulous. Panicle branches angular; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–7 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.5–11.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.1 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.6–1.9 mm long; 0.12 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0–2 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear; 3.5–6.4 mm long; 0.6 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3–5 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret linear; 4–7.3 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.3–9.3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy all along, or above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 6.3–9.3 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–1.8 mm long; membranous; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2.6–4.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono 2001.

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