Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea aspera L.G.Clark

First published in Iowa State J. Res. 61: 113 (1986)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Peru. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms scandent; 1000-1500 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal, or infravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; antrorsely scabrous. Leaves 6-7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.5-7 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15-0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13-23 cm long; 20-32 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; secund; 13-38 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1.5-15 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous; glabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 2-5 mm long; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 11-15.7 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; 11-15.7 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; 0.9-2 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; pilose; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.3-4 mm long; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; pilose; hairy at apex. 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; 5.5-6.4 mm long; chartaceous; 5-9 -veined; scabrous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7.7-11.6 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 10.2-13.6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9-13 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; inner surface scabrous (at apex). Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 10-12.4 mm long; 4-8 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 1.5-2 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 6-8 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
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