Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea microphylla (Döll) L.G.Clark

First published in Brittonia 44: 420 (1992)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais). It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms erect; 50-100 cm long; 3-5 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; thick-walled; 1.5-13.5 cm long; distally pruinose and pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal; spreading. Bud complement 30-60. Branch complement many; in a clump (triangle of 5-6 rows). Culm-sheaths persistent; 3.4-9.4 cm long; glabrous; glabrous on margins; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; 0.9-2.5 cm long. Leaves 4-7 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2-0.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.02-0.05 cm long. Leaf-blades linear; 0.85-2 cm long; 1-2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle contracted; linear; 1-1.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-3 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 4.7-5.5 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 ovate; subterete, or dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 4.7-5.5 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 oblong; 0.4-0.8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.6-1.2 mm long; 0.15 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pubescent. 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 ovate; 2.9-4 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-5 -veined; without lateral veins, or distinctly veined; pubescent; hairy above; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 2.9-4 mm long; 1.2-1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5-5.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4.5-5.3 mm long; 1 length of lemma; 4 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5-2.7 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Bambuseae. Clarke 1996.
Diagnostic
Culm-sheath margins fused for 10mm.
[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