Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea villosa (L.G.Clark) L.G.Clark

First published in Syst. Bot. 34: 682 (2009)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ecuador. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 30-120 cm long; 2-4 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; thin-walled; 1.7-3 cm long; striate; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; papillose; glabrous on surface, or hirsute; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1-3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 8-27 cm long; 10-16 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 12-30 cm long; hirsute above. Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 20-40 cm long; 1-2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1.5-3 cm long. Panicle axis villous. Panicle branches villous; with prominent pulvini. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 3-4.4 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; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 3-4.4 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 ovate; 1.2-2 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous; inner surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.2-6.8 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-2.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface puberulous; inner surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.9-5.9 mm long.
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; 4-4.2 mm long; coriaceous; 1-3 -veined; ciliolate on margins; setaceously attenuate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.5-4 mm long; ciliolate on margins; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5-3.9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; (3-)5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; pubescent; mucronate. Palea 2.5-4 mm long; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface scaberulous (at tip).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 0.9-1 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 1.2-2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
Reference
Bambuseae. Clarke 2001.
[GB]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/45964/11027011

Conservation
VU - vulnerable
[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