Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea abietifolia Griseb.

First published in Fl. Brit. W. I.: 529 (1864)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Caribbean. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms arching; pendulous at the tip; 500-700 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 1-3 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; 1.5-6 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6 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 oblong; laterally compressed; 6 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 oblong; 0.5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.5 mm long; 0.08 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. 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; 2 mm long; 0.33 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.5 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Caribbean.
Reference
Bambuseae. Iran Gr WI 2001.
[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