Chusquea annagardneriae

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 250–400 cm long; 5–11 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 20–32 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Bud complement 40–50. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 2 branches dominant and interspersed leafless fibrillar branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 22–25 cm long; glabrous; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; brown; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; narrower than sheath; erect; 2.2–4 cm long; scabrid. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled (above); glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.8 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2.9–8.5 cm long; 4–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 3–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1.5–4.5 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches pubescent; pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5–5.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2–3 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.2–3.3 mm long; 1.1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.6–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 4.6–5.1 mm long; 1 length of lemma; 4–6 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–1.2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark et al 2009.

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