Chusquea nana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 20–130 cm long; 2–4 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 1–6.3 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; papillose; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 11–39 cm long; 6–14 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; smooth, or scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or bracts (1 bract 1–3mm long). Peduncle 5–44 cm long; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; linear; 18–37 cm long; 1–2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2.5–11 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous, or pilose. Panicle branches glabrous, or pilose; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 3.6–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–4.3 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; inner surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.7–6.7 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 2–4 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough generally; inner surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.6–7 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.8–5 mm long; coriaceous; 3(–5) -veined; scabrous; rough above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.1–5 mm long; scabrous (above); acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.8–5.4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5(–7) -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 3.5–5 mm long; coriaceous; 2(–4) -veined; without keels. Palea surface scabrous (at tip).

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–1.5 mm long; veined; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2.2–2.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.1 mm long. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 2001.

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