Chusquea abietifolia

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching; pendulous at the tip; 500–700 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 1–3 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 1.5–6 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; 6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.5 mm long; 0.08 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2 mm long; 0.33 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.5 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Iran Gr WI 2001.

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