Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea subtessellata Hitchc.

First published in Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 40: 81 (1927)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Costa Rica to Panama. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 1500-3000 cm long; 4-8 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; thick-walled; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths pilose; with yellow hairs; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1.7 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; 2-2.5 cm long; acuminate. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5-1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; ovate; 1.5-11 cm long; 4.5-12 mm wide; coriaceous; light green. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above. Panicle contracted; linear; 5-13 cm long; 0.7-1.4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.5-7 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.5-7 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 orbicular; 0.4-0.8 mm long; 0.5-0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 0.5-1.8 mm long; 0.1-0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface villous to hispid. 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; 5-6.5 mm long; chartaceous; purple; 7-9 -veined; eciliate on margins, or ciliolate on margins; acute; muticous, or mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5-7 mm long; chartaceous; eciliate on margins, or ciliolate on margins; acute; muticous, or mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 5-6.5 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2-4 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7-3.5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.
[GB]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/162141441/162151816

Conservation
NT - near threatened
[IUCN]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • 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