Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea patens L.G.Clark

First published in Iowa State J. Res. 61: 119 (1986)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Costa Rica to Panama. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms arching; 200-1000 cm long; 20-40 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 13.5-17 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 24-65. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 12-35 cm long; 2-5 times as long as wide; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; hairy above; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 2-4 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 5-12 cm long; pubescent and scabrid. Leaves 2-5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-4 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule; ciliate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1-0.15 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 8.5-31.2 cm long; 4-9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 6-17 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; 4-5 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous; pubescent in axils; with prominent pulvini. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 3-10 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.9-11.2 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.9-11.2 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; 0.6-0.9 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.7-1.2 mm long; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or 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; 3.1-6.6 mm long; chartaceous; 3-7 -veined; pubescent; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5-8.8 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 6.9-10.3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 6.5-8.7 mm long; 4-6 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 1.1-1.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.1-4.7 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Bambuseae. Clark 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

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