Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea meyeriana Rupr. ex Döll

First published in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 2(3): 203 (1880)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. & S. Brazil. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 1000 cm long; 30-50 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots, or with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches, or 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths hispid; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 3-5 mm high. Leaves 3-4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear; 14-23 cm long; 4.5-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; pyramidal; 6-12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2-8 cm long. Panicle branches angular; scabrous; pubescent in axils; with prominent pulvini. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous; 2-7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.8-9.5 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.8-9.5 mm long; 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 ovate; 0.3-0.8 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.5-1 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 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 similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4-6.5 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4.8-6.5 mm long; chartaceous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 7.2-8.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.5-5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.
[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

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0