Chusquea spencei

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; pendulous at the tip; 200–600 cm long; 5–40 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 7–11 cm long; yellow, or brown, or purple; smooth; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 30–38. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 6–22 cm long; hispid. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 3–6 cm long; pubescent. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface; truncate. Collar without external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–14 cm long; 2–6 mm wide; stiff, or firm. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle spiciform; linear; secund; 2.5–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–1.5 cm long. Panicle axis angular; pubescent. Panicle branches angular; pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.6–7.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.7–2.1 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.1–2.7 mm long; 0.2–0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. 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; 2.3–4.6 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1–5 -veined; without lateral veins, or distinctly veined; scabrous; rough on midvein; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.5–6.1 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous (on midvein); acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–5.9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous (above). Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 3.8–5.9 mm long; 4–6 -veined. Palea surface smooth, or scaberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 2; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.7 mm long; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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