Chusquea windischii

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots, or with root dots on the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 6–8 cm long; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes swollen; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal; ascending. Bud complement 5–9. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 6.4–9.2 cm long; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on margins, or hairy on margins; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 3.2–4.2 cm long; scabrid. Leaves 4–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3.6–5.9 cm long; 8–10 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

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

Panicle contracted; linear; 1.5–2 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–3.5 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 4.3–4.9 mm long; 1.1–1.2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.1–0.2 mm long; 0.5–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 0.2–0.3 mm long; 0.03–0.05 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; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.3–4.8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4.1–4.7 mm long; 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 1996.

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