Chusquea hatschbachii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 4–6 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 5–8 cm long; distally pruinose. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal; ascending. Branch complement several; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths persistent; 6–9.5 cm long; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on margins, or hairy on margins; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1–1.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 1.5–4.6 cm long; scabrid; acuminate. Leaves 3–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.15 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3.3–6.6 cm long; 4–9 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 4–6.5 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2.5 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.7–8.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.2–0.6 mm long; 0.33 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.6–2 mm long; 0.08–0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. 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; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–1.5 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4–5 mm long; 1.1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1–2 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–1.2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined. Palea apex awned; awns 0.7 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark & Blong 2011.

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