Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea quila Kunth

First published in Révis. Gramin. 1: 138 (1829)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & S. Chile. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 20 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5-15 cm long; 6-14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6-10 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 5-15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 3-6 cm long. Panicle axis angular; puberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4-6 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 ovate; laterally compressed; 4-6 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 ovate; 0.5-1.5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1-2 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.
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; 3-4 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3-4 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4-6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 4-6 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: southern South America.
Reference
Bambuseae. Munro 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