Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea spectabilis L.G.Clark

First published in Syst. Bot. 34: 681 (2009)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Venezuela to Ecuador. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; robust; 600-800 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 40 mm long; scarious; bilobed. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole, or with a false petiole; petiole 7-10 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 70 cm long; 40 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle axis glabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 20-30 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-8 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; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.2-0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. 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 lanceolate; 4-5 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous; 3 -veined; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; obtuse. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 4-5 mm long; coriaceous; ciliolate on margins; fringed above; obtuse. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6-8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea lanceolate; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
Reference
Bambuseae. Pilger 2001.
[GB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2500–4000 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 2900 - 3520 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
cerbatana, horqueta, sorbetana
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 2500 - 4000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • 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

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

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

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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