Guadua calderoniana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching, or leaning; 1000–2000 cm long; 20–35 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 30–35 cm long; mid-green. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one to several; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; pubescent; with tawny hairs; auriculate; with 7–9 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 15 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5–3 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate, or triangular; erect; 20–35 cm long; hispid. Leaves 12–15 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 12–25 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 5–10 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long; brown; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base truncate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–1 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 15–27 cm long; 20–37 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 14–18 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; scanty; lax; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 40–80 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes several; 1–2 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 3–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 11–17 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; lanceolate; 15–18 mm long; 23–27 -veined; pubescent; ciliate on margins; acuminate; mucronate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 17–27 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 23–27 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 15 mm long; 9–11 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2–3 mm long; veined; glabrous. Anthers 6; 7–10 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 9 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono & Jud 1995.

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