Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea virgata Hack.

First published in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 53: 156 (1903)
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 scandent; 600-700 cm long; 5-10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; mid-green and purple; mottled; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; purple; glabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; erect; 1 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1-0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; ovate; 7.5-17 cm long; 16-33 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; ovate; 9-17 cm long; 1-1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2-3 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 lanceolate; curved; laterally compressed; 8-9.7 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 lanceolate; curved; laterally compressed; 8-9.7 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 ovate; 0.2-0.3 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.3-0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
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; 2.8-3.2 mm long; chartaceous; 1(-3) -veined; without lateral veins, or obscurely veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3.4-4.2 mm long; chartaceous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5-9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; oblanceolate; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 4.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.
[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