Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea wilkesii Munro

First published in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 26: 63 (1868)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms scandent; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 17 cm long; distally hirsute. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several (6-8); in a clump; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7-10 cm long; 8-12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with 8 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; 5-8 cm long. Primary panicle branches reflexed. Panicle axis hispid. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 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 oblong; laterally compressed; 6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes both absent or obscure.
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 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; ciliate on margins; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3 mm long; chartaceous; ciliate on margins; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Munro 2001.
[GB]

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]

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

  • 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