Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea oligophylla Rupr.

First published in Bambuseae: 34 (1839)
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. Culms scandent; 3-5 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 30 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several, or many; in a clump. Leaf-sheaths without keel. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15-0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 5-10.5 cm long; 5-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4-8 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; equilateral; 3-7 cm long; 2-4 cm wide. Panicle axis glabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2-4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5-6 mm long; 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 lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5-6 mm long; 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 ovate; 1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex cuspidate.
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; 0.25 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 5 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3 mm long; 2 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1995.
[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