Guadua maculosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 12 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump. Leaves 5–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 3–25 cm long; 1.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without 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; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; subterete; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 8–9 mm long; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 8–9 mm long; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 11–13 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; glabrous. Anthers 6; 6 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Hackel 2001.

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