Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea falcata L.G.Clark

First published in Novon 3: 228 (1993)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ecuador. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/45941/11026290

Conservation
VU - vulnerable
[IUCN]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms arching, or scandent; 150-300 cm long; 10-15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Bud complement 30-60. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 17-80 cm long; hairy on margins. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 1.2-2.7 cm long; pubescent. Leaves 3-4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-0.6 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15-0.2 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades linear; 7.8-20 cm long; 4-8.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage. Panicle open; linear; 7-16 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2-3 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; glabrous. Panicle branches angular; scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1-4 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; curved; laterally compressed; 5.1-6.5 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 ovate; curved; laterally compressed; 5.1-6.5 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; 0.4-0.9 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1-1.8 mm long; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume apex obtuse.
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; 1.6-2.9 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.7-4 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.3-5.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4.2-5.3 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 1.8-2.1 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7 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

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • 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