Chusquea maculata

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching, or scandent; pendulous at the tip; 400–1200 cm long; 10–30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; 17–23 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 25–50. Bud prophyll 50–100 mm long. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 18–47.5 cm long; distinctly mottled with last colour; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 2.5–8.5 cm long; scabrid. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.1 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 10.4–19.5 cm long; 4–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

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

Panicle open; linear; 12–16 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–3 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–11.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.6–2.4 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4.2–5.4 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. 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; 5.7–7.1 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; smooth; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 8.5–10.1 mm long; chartaceous; smooth; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 9.8–10.2 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 8.6–9 mm long; 8 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface scabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2–4.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.3–4.7 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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