Chusquea leptophylla

HABIT Perennial. Culms leaning, or scandent; 2 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 13 cm long; scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Culm-sheaths persistent; antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base cuneate. Leaf-blades linear; 8–12 cm long; 3 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 3–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; 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; 0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. 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.