Chusquea nobilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 50–300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule absent. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades drooping; lanceolate; 50–500 cm long; 25–300 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 40–100 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 8–15 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled, or sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3.5–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1.5–2.2 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret 2.3–2.7 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea ovate; 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 4 -veined; without keels. Palea apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. WDC.

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