Chusquea fimbriligulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 300–600 cm long; 10–18 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 5–28 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths without keel, or medianly thickened; glabrous on surface, or hispid; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 10–50 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 28–63 cm long; 30–63 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 10–14 cm long; glabrous, or hirsute above.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 59–84 cm long; 12–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 18–34 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–2 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 3.6–5.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2–4 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2.37–9.6 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 1.6–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1(–3) -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–8 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.7–4.5 mm long; coriaceous; 3–5 -veined; pubescent; hairy at apex; setaceously attenuate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.5–4.9 mm long; pubescent (at tip); acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 3–4.8 mm long; coriaceous; 2–4 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.3–1.7 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.8–3.2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

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.