Chusquea patens

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching; 200–1000 cm long; 20–40 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 13.5–17 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 24–65. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 12–35 cm long; 2–5 times as long as wide; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; hairy above; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 2–4 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 5–12 cm long; pubescent and scabrid. Leaves 2–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–4 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule; ciliate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.15 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 8.5–31.2 cm long; 4–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–17 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; 4–5 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous; pubescent in axils; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 3–10 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.9–11.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.6–0.9 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.7–1.2 mm long; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.1–6.6 mm long; chartaceous; 3–7 -veined; pubescent; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5–8.8 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.9–10.3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 6.5–8.7 mm long; 4–6 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.1–1.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.1–4.7 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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