Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea heterophylla Nees

First published in Linnaea 9: 488 (1835)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Brazil. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms erect; inclined at the tip, or nodding at the tip; 100-200(-300) cm long; 10-15 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; thick-walled; 3.8-8.6 cm long; distally pruinose and pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal; spreading. Bud complement 12-45. Branch complement many; in an irregular line (crescent). Culm-sheaths persistent; 7.5-16 cm long; antrorsely scabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5-1 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 6-9 cm long; scabrid; acute. Leaves 9-12 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; pubescent; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3-0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 1.3-3.7 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle contracted; linear; 1-4 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.5-1 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1-3.5 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 4.5-6.4 mm long; 1.2-1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 4.5-6.4 mm long; 1.2-1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.4-1 mm long; 0.5-1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 0.4-2 mm long; 0.1-0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0-3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or distinct. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 2.9-3.2 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3-5 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.1-4.7 mm long; 1.1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.6-6.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5-9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4-6.1 mm long; 4-6 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 0.8-1 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.7 mm long; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Clarke 1996.
Diagnostic
Culm-sheath margins fused for 10-20mm.
[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