Chusquea longifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms geniculately ascending; 800–1000 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5–2 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect; 13 cm long; attenuate. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear; 14–27 cm long; 7–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 8–17 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 9–15 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; 1–1.3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.4–1.8 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; ovate; 0.4–0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 7–9 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 8–13 mm long; chartaceous; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1–3 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–13 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1–1.1 length of lemma; 6 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5.1–5.4 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 9 mm long; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Pohl.

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