Chusquea smithii

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 2.5–3 cm long; yellow; smooth. Culm-nodes flush with internodes; without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one to several; solitary, or in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Leaves 8–10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule; ciliate. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades erect; lanceolate; 5.7–7 cm long; 7–9 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed.

Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 7–8 cm long. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches angular; puberulous.

Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1.5–6 mm long; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.7–9.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.3 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.3–0.4 mm long; 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; 4.2–5.8 mm long; chartaceous; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; pubescent on midvein; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7–8.5 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent on midvein; eciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.6–9.2 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma inner surface scabrous (at apex). Lemma margins pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 7–7.9 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.3 mm long; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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