Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea longifolia Swallen

First published in J. Washington Acad. Sci. 30: 210 (1940)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico (Chiapas) to Guatemala. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms geniculately ascending; 800-1000 cm long; 20-30 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5-2 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect; 13 cm long; attenuate. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-1.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear; 14-27 cm long; 7-12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 8-17 cm long; 1-1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches angular; scabrous. 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; 9-15 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; 9-15 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 ovate; 1-1.3 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.4-1.8 mm long; 0.1-0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; ovate; 0.4-0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 7-9 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 8-13 mm long; chartaceous; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1-3 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 8-13 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1-1.1 length of lemma; 6 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; obovate; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5.1-5.4 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 9 mm long; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Bambuseae. Pohl.
[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