Chusquea uniflora

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 100–600 cm long; 7–25 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 16–25 cm long; mid-green and purple; mottled. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–5 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 3–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel. Lemma surface with longitudinal folds. Lemma apex obtuse.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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