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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Guadua superba

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect, or arching; 800–2000 cm long; 100–150 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes semiterete; with small lumen; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Culm-sheaths 3 times as long as wide; glabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5–2.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 10–13 cm long; hispid. Leaves 7–13 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; 4–7 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.8 cm long; petiole pilose. Leaf-blades linear; 16–26 cm long; 13–18 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

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

Spikelets appressed, or ascending. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; acuminate; 15–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; pubescent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 13–15 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 15–17 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 9–10 mm long. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Guiana 1995.

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