Chusquea pinifolia

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 50–200 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 3–9 cm long; smooth; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 7–20. Branch complement several, or many; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 3.2–9.1 cm long. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 0.9–3.3 cm long. Leaves 12–16 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar without external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 1.3–5.3 cm long; 7–20 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 spiciform; linear; 1–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.5–1 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2–3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4–0.6 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.4–1.3 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.4–4 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1–5 -veined; without lateral veins, or distinctly veined; puberulous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.9–4 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.7–5.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 4.3–5.8 mm long; 4 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.8–3.3 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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