Chusquea mirabilis

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 400–800 cm long; 6 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 20–41 cm long; mid-green and black; mottled; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 18–40. Branch complement many; in several rows; with 1 branch dominant; as thick as stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 13.6–30.5 cm long; retrorsely scabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 0.1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 0.9–1.5 cm long; scabrid; acute. Leaves 7–11 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled (above); striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base symmetrical, or asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 6–13 cm long; 3.5–5.5 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bracteate at branch bases.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 2.5–4 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1 cm long. Panicle axis angular. Panicle branches angular; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5.9–6.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.2 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2–2.1 mm long; 0.33 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 5 -veined; scabrous; ciliate on margins. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 3–3.4 mm long; chartaceous. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.9–6.1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 5.9–6.7 mm long; 2 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.5 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Mota, Oliveira & Clark.

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