Guadua macrospiculata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; pendulous at the tip; 800–1500 cm long; 18–40 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 11–32 cm long; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 6–14.5 cm long; coriaceous; glabrous; hairy on margins; without auricles, or auriculate; with 1–3 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 3 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1–1.5 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; demarcated but persistent; erect; 2–10 cm long; 25–90 mm wide; pubescent. Leaves 5–15 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect, or curly; 3–10 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 0.5–1.25 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.25 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.15 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–12 cm long; 8–28 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 12–14 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

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

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 basal sterile florets; 6–17 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; subterete; 30–170 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–9 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes several; 0 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 4–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; inner surface pubescent. Upper glume margins eciliate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 6–14 mm long; chartaceous; 17–20 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; acuminate; mucronate. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 15–24 mm long; 7–10 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel; 18–25 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface glabrous; inner surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 10–16 mm long; 11–13 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.5 of their length adorned. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 4–8 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; 6–7 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londonho & Clark 2002.

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