Chusquea scabra

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 500–1000 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots, or with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; mid-green; concolorous; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches and interspersed leafless fibrillar branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths green and purple; distinctly mottled with last colour; antrorsely scabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0.3–0.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate. Leaves 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 3 mm long; obtuse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 11–15 cm long; 12–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 10–24 cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–8 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–8 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 8.2–10.3 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; 2–3.2 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 3.2–4.1 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 3–4 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4.2–5.6 mm long; membranous; 5 -veined; scaberulous; ciliate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 6.2–8 mm long; membranous; scabrous; ciliolate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–9.3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.3–4.5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.

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