Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea pinifolia (Nees) Nees

First published in Linnaea 9: 490 (1835)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Brazil. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms erect; 50-200 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 3-9 cm long; smooth; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 7-20. Branch complement several, or many; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent; 3.2-9.1 cm long. Culm-sheath ligule 1-2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 0.9-3.3 cm long. Leaves 12-16 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar without external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 1.3-5.3 cm long; 7-20 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle spiciform; linear; 1-4 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.5-1 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2-3 mm long; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-7.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-7.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4-0.6 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.4-1.3 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.4-4 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-5 -veined; without lateral veins, or distinctly veined; puberulous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.9-4 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.7-5.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 4.3-5.8 mm long; 4 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.8-3.3 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Clark 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0