Chusquea neurophylla

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–300 cm long; 2–4 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 5–8.5 cm long; yellow; smooth; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1, or 3. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 4–5 cm long; 4–5 times as long as wide; chartaceous; glabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high; entire. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; erect; 2.5–3.3 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaves 3–9 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. 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 0.1–0.15 cm long. Leaf-blades erect; linear; 3–8 cm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade venation prominent; with 2–4 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; secund; 4–11 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 cm long. Panicle branches angular; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2–8 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.7–6.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.8 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.4–1.2 mm long; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.7–3.6 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; pubescent; hairy at apex; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent (at apex); ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.3–5.4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 4.9–5.4 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.8–1.4 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7–3.4 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

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.