Chusquea virgata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 600–700 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; mid-green and purple; mottled; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; purple; glabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; erect; 1 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 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; ovate; 7.5–17 cm long; 16–33 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Panicle open; ovate; 9–17 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2–3 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; curved; laterally compressed; 8–9.7 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; 0.2–0.3 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.3–0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.8–3.2 mm long; chartaceous; 1(–3) -veined; without lateral veins, or obscurely veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.4–4.2 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; oblanceolate; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.5 mm long. 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.