Poaceae
Cortaderia

Cortaderia rudiuscula Stapf

First published in Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 22: 396 (1897)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Peru to S. South America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms 50-250 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5-2 mm long. Leaf-blades 100-185 cm long; 5-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Gynodioecious (male, in this context, indicating the bisexual state), or dioecious (by loss of viability in bisexual plants). Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; dense; 15-70 cm long. Primary panicle branches 20-35 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; scabrous. Male inflorescence nominally bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (less hairy); hairy (hairs 2-3mm).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-5(-8) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10-16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; pilose.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-5(-8) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10-16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 7-12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9-13 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9-12 mm long; hyaline; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma hairs 5-8 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 0-2 mm long overall. Palea 3.5-4.5 mm long; 0.33-0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5 mm long; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Staminodes present; 1-1.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2.5 mm long.
sex Male
Male inflorescence nominally bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (less hairy); hairy (hairs 2-3mm).
Distribution
South America: western South America and southern South America.
Reference
Arundineae. Fl Pat 1993.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0