Chusquea argentina

HABIT Perennial. Culms leaning; 300 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several. Leaves 10–12 per branch. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.2–3 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6–13 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; herbaceous. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; ovate; 5–6.5 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–3 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1.8–2 mm long; 0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with scarious margins; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. 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 ovate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; pubescent; hairy above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4.6–5.6 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 7–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Pat 2010.

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