Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea fernandeziana Phil.

First published in Anales Univ. Chile 43: 577 (1873)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Juan Fernández Islands to Chile (Valparaíso). It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5-15 cm long; 5-13 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; linear; 8-10 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 lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7-9 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 lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7-9 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 lanceolate; 3-5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1.5-2 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; chartaceous; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 7-9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: southern South America.
Reference
Bambuseae. WDC 2001.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • 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