Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea oxylepis (Hack.) Ekman

First published in Ark. Bot. 13(10): 65 (1913)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. & S. Brazil. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms decumbent, or scandent; 300-2000 cm long; 5-10 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 20-40 cm long; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; striately veined; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2-0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate, or ovate; 1-2.5 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10-12 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; dense; 4-6 cm long; 3-4 cm wide. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous. Spikelets 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; 11-12 mm long; 2.5-3 mm wide; 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; 11-12 mm long; 2.5-3 mm wide; 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; 4.5 mm long; 0.25 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 6 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate.
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; 5-6 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 9-11 -veined; scabrous; rough above; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; scabrous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 10-11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 15 -veined. Lemma apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1995.
[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