Poaceae
Cortaderia

Cortaderia modesta (Döll) Hack. ex Dusén

First published in Ark. Bot. 9(5): 4 (1909)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Brazil. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms 100-250 cm long; 1.5-2 mm diam. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5-0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 20-80 cm long; 6-12 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Gynodioecious (male, in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 20-30 cm long; 3-5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3-5 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches scabrous; bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2-3 mm long; ciliate. Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10-14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; bearded. Floret callus hairs 2.5-3 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10-14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; bearded. Floret callus hairs 2.5-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 9-12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 9-12 mm long; 1.5-1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 6-7 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; plumose; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 2-2.5 mm long. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; acuminate; muticous. Palea lanceolate; 6-7 mm long; 2 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back and on flanks. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Staminodes present; 2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
sex Male
Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Arundineae. Conert 1993.
[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: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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