Guadua virgata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 750 cm long; 5–7.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump. Leaf-sheaths puberulous; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.4 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 10–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 1–2 cm between clusters; 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 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 12–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2 gemmiferous bracts; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9–17 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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