Chusquea elata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 100–1500 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades erect; linear; 80–120 cm long; 20–40 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 15–40 cm long; 3–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–5 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; 3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 0.33 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; 1.5 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. WDC 2012.

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