Guadua ciliata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 400–1000 cm long; 8–20 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 20–30 cm long; yellow, or mid-green; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one to three; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; hairy on margins; without auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 5–8 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 0.4–2.2 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect; 1–2.4 cm long; pubescent and with ciliate margins; mucronate. Leaves 7–11 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; deciduous; 2–11 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.2 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–1.4 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–25 cm long; 20–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 15–23 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; lax; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafy between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 50–70 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3–9.5 mm long; obscured by lemmas; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes several; 1–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 6–16 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 13–19 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 14–23 mm long; 7–9 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel; 23–27 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 8–17 mm long; 8–9 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; pubescent. Palea apex pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 5.1–7.2 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; 5.5–7.5 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 8.5–10 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono & Dav 1995.

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