Chusquea longiligulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 300–1000 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; distally glabrous, or hispid. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several, or many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths hispid; hairy throughout; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect; 5.5 cm long; pubescent. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 10–70 mm long; acuminate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 12–28 cm long; 8–23 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 25–50 cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 5–11 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; curved; subterete; 6–7.7 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; 0.3–0.7 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.9–1.2 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.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.7–4.8 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.7–6.4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 1 length of lemma. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.5–4.1 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.

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