Guadua weberbaueri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1800 cm long; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement three; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths without auricles. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or elliptic; 13–17 cm long; 20–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 17–25 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; 0.25 length of upper glume. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 13–16 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9–13 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. 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: western South America and Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gr Peru 1995.

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