Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea smithii L.G.Clark

First published in Iowa State J. Res. 61: 107 (1986)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Peru. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 50-100 cm long; 1-2 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; thick-walled; 2.5-3 cm long; yellow; smooth. Culm-nodes flush with internodes; without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one to several; solitary, or in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Leaves 8-10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-1 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule; ciliate. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2-0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades erect; lanceolate; 5.7-7 cm long; 7-9 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 7-8 cm long. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches angular; puberulous. Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1.5-6 mm long; puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.7-9.5 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; 7.7-9.5 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; 0.2-0.3 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.3-0.4 mm long; 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; 4.2-5.8 mm long; chartaceous; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; pubescent on midvein; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7-8.5 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent on midvein; eciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.6-9.2 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5-7 -veined. Lemma inner surface scabrous (at apex). Lemma margins pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 7-7.9 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.3 mm long; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis.
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