Chusquea tovarii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 100–400 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 90–250 cm long; 45–70 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 60–90 cm long; 7–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–35 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2–4 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–4 mm long; 0.6–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.5–4 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 2 mm long. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Pilger 2012.

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