Chusquea pallida

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 700–900 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7.5–12 cm long; 9–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation prominent; with 8 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle axis hirsute.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 0–1 -veined; without midvein, or with obscure midvein; without lateral veins; glabrous; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy between veins. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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