Guadua Macclurei

HABIT:

• Perennial; caespitose.
• Rhizomes short; pachymorph.
• Culms arching; pendulous at the tip; 600–1500 cm long; 30–40 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes.
• Culm-internodes terete; thin-walled; 35–55 cm long; mid-green; distally pubescent.
• Culm-nodes pubescent.
• Lateral branches dendroid.
• Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem.
• Culm-sheaths deciduous; hispid; hairy throughout; with white hairs; without auricles, or auriculate; glabrous on shoulders, or ciliate on shoulders.
• Culm-sheath ligule 1.5–2 mm high.
• Culm-sheath blade triangular; 7–14 cm long; hispid; acuminate.
• Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hispid; outer margin hairy.
• Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; spreading; 5–9 mm long.
• Leaf-sheath auricles falcate.
• Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.1–0.4 mm long.
• Collar with external ligule.
• Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.25 cm long; petiole pilose.
• Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13–26 cm long; 16–48 mm wide.
• Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
• Leaf-blade margins ciliate.

 

INFLORESCENCE:

• Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; bracts 2–2.5 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters (branches 15–30cm long).

 

FERTILE SPIKELETS:

• Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex.
• Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8.5–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

 

GLUMES:

• Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.
• Lower glume ovate; 6–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 11–13 -veined.
• Lower glume apex rostrate.
• Upper glume ovate; 8–8.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 11–13 -veined.
• Upper glume apex rostrate.

 

FLORETS:

• Fertile lemma ovate; 8.5–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 11–15 -veined.
• Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above.
• Lemma apex apiculate.
• Palea bowed outwards; 1 length of lemma; 8–10 -veined.
• Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged.
• Rhachilla extension 3–5 mm long.
• Apical sterile florets distinct from fertile; 1 in number; barren; linear; 3.5–5 mm long.

 

FLOWER:

• Lodicules 3; veined.
• Anthers 6; 5 mm long; yellow.
• Stigmas 3.

 

FRUIT:

• Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

 

DISTRIBUTION:

• Costa Rica
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama

 

Sources:
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
INBAR (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan)