Guadua paraguayana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300–500 cm long; 20–40 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3–4 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pilose. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 5–12 cm long; 8–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle oblong; 5–12 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 40–80 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–16 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Entre Rios 2000.

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