Chusquea spadicea

HABIT Perennial. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaf-sheaths striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–8 cm long; 4–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 13 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.4 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 6 mm long; chartaceous. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma; 2-keeled.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ovate; ciliate.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Pilger 2011.

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