Chusquea nutans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; inclined at the tip; (100–)400–500(–600) cm long; 10–15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 7.7–14 cm long; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal; reflexed. Bud complement 5–11. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 5.6–12.6 cm long; glabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0–0.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 0.8–2.3 cm long; scabrid; acuminate. Leaves 4–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; glabrous on surface, or 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 0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades aciculate; 2–5.3 cm long; 0.6–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

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

Panicle contracted; linear; 0.5–1 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches appressed; indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2.5–4 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; subterete; 5.6–6.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.6–0.8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.6–0.8 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5.1–5.9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 4.7–5.6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.6–2.8 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 3–15mm.

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