Chusquea tomentosa

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 600–900 cm long; 13–40 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; 18–38 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 50–60. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 11.8–25.4 cm long. Culm-sheath ligule 1–4 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; narrower than sheath; demarcated but persistent; erect; 1.5–5.4 cm long; pubescent. Leaves 4–9 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; erect and deciduous; 1–2 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule; glabrous. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.15 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 15–27 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy abaxially.

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

Panicle open; linear; 8–16 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3–4 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; glabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 11.5–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.3 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.7–1.5 mm long; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. 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; 7.2–9.7 mm long; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; scabrous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 11.7–14 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 11.5–13.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 9.5–12.1 mm long; 6–8 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface scabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 6–8 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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