Chusquea meyeriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 1000 cm long; 30–50 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots, or with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches, or 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths hispid; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 3–5 mm high. Leaves 3–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear; 14–23 cm long; 4.5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 6–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2–8 cm long. Panicle branches angular; scabrous; pubescent in axils; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous; 2–7 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.8–9.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.8 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4.8–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.2–8.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.5–5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.

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