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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Chusquea rigida

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 100–250 cm long; 4–8 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 4–11 mm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 5–15 mm long. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 24–63 cm long; 11–21 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.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or bracts (1 bract 3mm long). Peduncle 10–66 cm long; glabrous.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 33–68 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 9–26 cm long. Panicle axis hirsute. Panicle branches hirsute; with prominent pulvini.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 3–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; inner surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 2–3 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1(–3) -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface scabrous; inner surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2–4.5 mm long; coriaceous; 3 -veined; smooth, or scaberulous; rough above; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy all along, or above; acuminate; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.2–4.5 mm long; smooth, or scabrous (above); mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.9–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5(–7) -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 2.8–4.5 mm long; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface smooth, or scaberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.2–1.3 mm long; veined; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.5–3 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.