Chusquea microphylla

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; 3–5 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 1.5–13.5 cm long; distally pruinose and pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal; spreading. Bud complement 30–60. Branch complement many; in a clump (triangle of 5–6 rows). Culm-sheaths persistent; 3.4–9.4 cm long; glabrous; glabrous on margins; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 0.9–2.5 cm long. Leaves 4–7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.02–0.05 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 0.85–2 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

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

Panicle contracted; linear; 1–1.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis pubescent.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 4.7–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.4–0.8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.6–1.2 mm long; 0.15 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pubescent. 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; 2.9–4 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1–5 -veined; without lateral veins, or distinctly veined; pubescent; hairy above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.9–4 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4.5–5.3 mm long; 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5–2.7 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 1996.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Culm-sheath margins fused for 10mm.

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