Chusquea tonduzii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short, or elongated; pachymorph. Culms arching; 500–2000 cm long; 10–30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths without auricles. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 9–19 cm long; 9–18 mm wide; light green, or dark green. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above.

Panicle open; ovate; 11–19 cm long; 3–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–2 -nate; 3–6 cm long. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.3–1 mm long; 0.05–0.15 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; purple; 3 -veined; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.8–5 mm long; chartaceous; emarginate, or truncate. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.6–6.6 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 1–1.1 length of lemma; 4–7 -veined. Palea keels approximate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.6–3.8 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.

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