Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea urelytra Hack.

First published in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 53: 158 (1903)
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 scandent; 350-600(-1200) cm long; 2-10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; concolorous; distally hispid. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths 21-54 cm long; concolorous; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 2-17 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hispid. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7-2 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9.6-15.3 cm long; 12-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by a spatheole. Panicle capitate; globose; 1.5-2 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7.3-10 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 oblong; laterally compressed; 7.3-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.4-1.8 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 5.1-6.3 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 1.9-2.5 mm long; 0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4-5.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.1-6.5 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1-2 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7-8.9 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 7-9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. 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 Sao Paulo 2001.
[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