Chusquea scandens

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms scandent; 500 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths hispid. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9–10 cm long; 10–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–12 cm long; 2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets spreading, or deflexed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 mm long; without keels. 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; 4 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4.5 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acuminate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1997.

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