Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea nelsonii Scribn. & J.G.Sm.

First published in Bull. Div. Agrostol. U.S.D.A. 4: 16 (1897)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico (Michoacán, Guerrero). It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; 300-500 cm long; 5-10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Branch complement many; in an irregular line (bulging downwards at centre); thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths 5.6-19 cm long; smooth; without auricles. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; erect; 1.8 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6.4-15.4 cm long; 5-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; dense; 4-6.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis pilose. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6.6-7.8 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; 6.6-7.8 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; 0.6-1.3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.6-1.3 mm long; 0.15-0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.
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; 3.8-4.8 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.8-4.8 mm long; chartaceous. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.4-7.1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 1 length of lemma. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Meso-Am 1997.
[GB]

Sources

  • 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 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