Chusquea talamancensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching; 300–600 cm long; 7–38 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; 27–37 cm long; smooth; distally mealy, or pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 6–12. Branch complement several to many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths 10.6–18 cm long; glabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 1.6–6.5 cm long; scabrid. Leaves 6–11 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule; glabrous. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 13–29 cm long; 10–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Panicle open; lanceolate; 11–29 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 3–9 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1.5–4 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.6–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.6–1 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.9–1.6 mm long; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. 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 mm long; chartaceous; 3–5 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5.3–6.3 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent (above); acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7.1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 5.6–6.2 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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