Chusquea spathacea

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 200–600 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 13.5–15 cm long; mid-green and purple; mottled; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 20–25. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches, or 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths 4.5–11 cm long; glaucous. Culm-sheath ligule 3–4 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; cordate; demarcated but persistent; erect; 4–9 cm long. Leaves 8–12 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4.6–8 cm long; 8–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by a spatheole (two); embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole lanceolate; 2.4–3.2 cm long.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; secund; 2–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–1.5 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous. Panicle branches angular; pubescent; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–2 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8.8–10.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1–0.7 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.2–1.3 mm long; 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; 3–4.6 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.5–5.1 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.8–9.4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 8.2–9.6 mm long; 4–6 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.6–5.2 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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