Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea spathacea L.G.Clark

First published in Novon 3: 235 (1993)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Colombia. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms scandent; 200-600 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 13.5-15 cm long; mid-green and purple; mottled; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 20-25. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches, or 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths 4.5-11 cm long; glaucous. Culm-sheath ligule 3-4 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; cordate; demarcated but persistent; erect; 4-9 cm long. Leaves 8-12 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-1.5 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4.6-8 cm long; 8-12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by a spatheole (two); embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole lanceolate; 2.4-3.2 cm long. Panicle contracted; elliptic; secund; 2-4 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1-1.5 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous. Panicle branches angular; pubescent; with prominent pulvini. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1-2 mm long; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8.8-10.3 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; 8.8-10.3 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; 0.1-0.7 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.2-1.3 mm long; 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; 3-4.6 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.5-5.1 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.8-9.4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 8.2-9.6 mm long; 4-6 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 1.5-2 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.6-5.2 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]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1700–2400 m a.s.l. Endemic to Colombia. Colombian departments: Cesar, Magdalena.
Habit
Climbing.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Endémica y nativa en Colombia; Alt. 1700 - 2400 m.; Andes, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Morphology General Habit
Trepadora
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • 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

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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