GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Chusquea albilanata

HABIT Perennial. Culms arching; pendulous at the tip; 300–500 cm long; 10–15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; 17–26 cm long; retrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 2 branches dominant, or 3 branches dominant and interspersed leafless fibrillar branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 11–18 cm long; glabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 1–3 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect; 3–7.4 cm long. Leaves 4–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–10 mm long; obtuse, or acute. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.3 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–22 cm long; 18–46 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 11–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 7–9 cm long. Panicle axis angular; pilose. Panicle branches angular; pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–6 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.3–5.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 2.4–3 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 2.8–3 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.3–5.1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 3.9–4.9 mm long; 4 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.8–1.1 mm long; membranous; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.9–2.7 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Londono 2001.

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