Chusquea pohlii

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 1000–1500 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 22–36 cm long; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal; spreading. Bud complement (2–)4–9(–12). Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 18.5–39.2 cm long; 3.5 times as long as wide; antrorsely scabrous; hispid. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; 2.5–8.4 cm long; scabrid; acuminate. Leaves 4–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; hispid; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 11–30 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 14–25.6 cm long; 10–23 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins serrulate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 21–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 5–6 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches angular; puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–4 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6.8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.6 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8 mm long; 0.1–0.15 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.1–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; 5 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 4.1–5.1 mm long; chartaceous; pilose; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.6–7.6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 6.4–7.7 mm long. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex acuminate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–1.9 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.3–3.9 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.