Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea valdiviensis É.Desv.

First published in C.Gay, Fl. Chil. 6: 446 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Central & S. Chile to S. Argentina. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms scandent; 500-1000 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6-18 cm long; 5-23 mm wide; herbaceous. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 14-18 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 6-10 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6-7 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; 6-7 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 lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.33-0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.
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; 0.5-0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3-5 -veined; pubescent; hairy above; setaceously attenuate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 1.5-2 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; setaceously attenuate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6-7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.
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. Fl Pat 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). 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 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0