Chusquea maclurei

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or arching; 400–800 cm long; 10–25 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 17–26 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 5–11. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 7–24.5 cm long; antrorsely scabrous (at base). Culm-sheath ligule 3–20 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; cordate; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 7–17.6 cm long; scabrid. Leaves 5–9 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 10–70 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.7 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 22–40 cm long; 20–50 mm wide; stiff; yellowish green. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 28–60 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 9–19 cm long. Panicle axis angular; pubescent. Panicle branches angular; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2–5 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; straight, or curved; laterally compressed; 7.1–9.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4–0.6 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.4–0.6 mm long; 0.05 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.4–4 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.8–5.7 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.6–7.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 6.5–8 mm long; 4 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.2 mm long. 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.