Chusquea guirigayensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; pachymorph. Culms erect; 30–80 cm long; 2–5 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement one to several; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths persistent; 1–4.5 cm long. Culm-sheath ligule 0.1–0.2 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous; 0.5–0.8 cm long. Leaves 3–15 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 0.9–1.2 cm long; keeled; striately veined; puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long; scarious; erose. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.1 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–2.5 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex acute; simple, or apiculate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 7–15 fertile spikelets; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 1–2(–3) cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–3 -nate; indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle axis with lower internodes 0.8–1.2 cm long; angular; pubescent.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5.5–7.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4–0.7 mm long; 0.75–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8–1 mm long; 0.1–0.13 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 5 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; chartaceous; pilose (at tip); acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–8 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea apex undifferentiated, or pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.6–1.2 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Nino, Clark & Dorr 2007.

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