Cortaderia jubata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 200–250 cm long; 3–6 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 40–90 cm long; 4–12 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; ovate; dense; 30–60 cm long; 10–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 20–30 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–8 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.5 mm long; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; light brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8.5–10 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; light brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma linear, or lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein extending to apex. Lemma lateral veins less than two thirds length of lemma. Lemma surface scaberulous; villous; hairy below. Lemma hairs white; 7–8 mm long. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea lanceolate; 3.2–4 mm long; 0.33 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; ciliate.

MALE Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female; glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Arundineae. Conert 1994.

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