Chusquea asymmetrica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 200–250 cm long; 5–7 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths with infolded margins; striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles erect (on one side). Ligule a ciliate membrane; 6–8 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole; petiole 1.5–17.5 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 27–85 cm long; 15–33 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous (and eccentric); keeled beneath. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by bracts (1 bract 0.5mm long). Peduncle 7–21 cm long; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; 21–47 cm long; 7–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 8–21 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 3.6–4.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.3–4.1 mm long; 0.4–0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or scabrous; inner surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.4–1.6 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 3–4.4 mm long; 0.6–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface smooth, or scabrous; inner surface pubescent. Upper glume apex attenuate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2.4 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.4–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; 3 -veined; pubescent; hairy at apex; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.6–3.3 mm long; coriaceous; smooth, or scabrous (at top); muticous, or mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.2–3.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above; inner surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 3–3.7 mm long; 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2–4 -veined; without keels. Palea surface smooth, or scaberulous (at top). Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.7–0.9 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 2001.

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