Chusquea londoniae

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching, or scandent; pendulous at the tip; 700–900 cm long; 15–20 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes channelled; 20–30 cm long; distally glabrous, or pilose. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 40–60. Bud prophyll 30–50 mm long. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 17.6–45 cm long; concolorous; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous, or hispid; hairy at the base. Culm-sheath ligule 0.2–0.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 2.2–8 cm long; scabrid; attenuate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4.4–12.2 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially.

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

Panicle open; linear; 3.5–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–4 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7.8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.8–2.8 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–5.1 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4.7–6.2 mm long; 0.75 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 7–9 -veined; scaberulous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7.2–8.9 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.8–8.4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 6.3–8.2 mm long; 6 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.4 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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