Chusquea villosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 30–120 cm long; 2–4 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 1.7–3 cm long; striate; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; papillose; glabrous on surface, or hirsute; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 8–27 cm long; 10–16 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 12–30 cm long; hirsute above.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 20–40 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1.5–3 cm long. Panicle axis villous. Panicle branches villous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 3–4.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–2 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous; inner surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.2–6.8 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface puberulous; inner surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.9–5.9 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4–4.2 mm long; coriaceous; 1–3 -veined; ciliolate on margins; setaceously attenuate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.5–4 mm long; ciliolate on margins; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–3.9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; (3–)5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; pubescent; mucronate. Palea 2.5–4 mm long; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface scaberulous (at tip).

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.9–1 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 1.2–2 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.