Chusquea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent (110/172), or short (46/172), or elongated (17/172); leptomorph (13/61), or pachymorph (48/61). Culms erect (61/153), or geniculately ascending (3/153), or decumbent (2/153), or rambling (1/153), or arching (28/153), or leaning (11/153), or scandent (69/153); reed-like (14/17), or robust (2/17), or slender (1/17); 15–519.8–4000 cm long; firm (5), or wiry (1), or woody (168); without nodal roots (104/112), or with prop roots (2/112), or rooting from lower nodes (2/112), or with root dots on the nodes (1/112), or with aerial roots from the nodes (3/112), or with root thorns from the nodes (4/112). Culm-internodes abbreviated and closely packed at the base (1/1); terete (161/168), or semiterete (1/168), or channelled (4/168), or elliptical in section (2/168). Culm-nodes flush with internodes (7/19), or swollen (12/19); without obvious supra-nodal ridge (14/45), or with distinct supra-nodal ridge (31/45). Lateral branches lacking (22), or sparse (2), or suffrutescent (1), or dendroid (150). Branch complement one (5/147), or two (4/147), or three (8/147), or several (48/147), or many (103/147); solitary (2/129), or in a horizontal line (29/129), or in an irregular line (3/129), or in a clump (86/129), or girdling the culm (7/129), or in several rows (4/129); with subequal branches (29/68), or 1 branch dominant (41/68), or 2 branches dominant (2/68), or 3 branches dominant (1/68), or interspersed leafless fibrillar branches (4/68); as thick as stem (5/92), or thinner than stem (88/92). Culm-sheaths persistent (53/79), or tardily deciduous (2/79), or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle (12/79), or deciduous (12/79); without auricles (25/25). Culm-sheath blade inconspicuous (2/88), or linear (8/88), or lanceolate (20/88), or triangular (59/88); narrower than sheath (6/15), or as wide as sheath at base (3/15), or cordate (6/15). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (152), or erect (20), or falcate (2). Ligule an eciliate membrane (144/172), or a ciliolate membrane (19/172), or a ciliate membrane (11/172), or absent (1/172). Leaf-blade base without a false petiole (10), or with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath (154), or with a false petiole (10). Leaf-blades persistent (130), or deciduous at the ligule (43); aciculate (3), or linear (46), or lanceolate (137), or elliptic (1), or oblong (5), or ovate (8); membranous (1), or herbaceous (139), or chartaceous (2), or coriaceous (31); stiff (31), or firm (143). Leaf-blade midrib indistinct (3/18), or evident (5/18), or conspicuous (10/18). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (131), or with obscure cross veins (31), or with distinct cross veins (21). Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous (32/32). Leaf-blade apex muticous (172), or pungent (1).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple (160/161), or bractiferous (1/161); clustered at the nodes (1/1); in untidy tufts (1/1); with glumaceous subtending bracts (1/1); without axillary buds at base of spikelet (1/1); leafless between clusters (1/1). Inflorescence a panicle (158/160), or composed of racemes (2/160); terminal (158/160), or terminal and axillary (1/160), or axillary (1/160); subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath (149/160), or an inflated leaf-sheath (6/160), or a spatheole (3/160), or bracts (7/160); exserted (122/160), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (43/160), or enclosed (1/160). Spatheole lanceolate (1/1). Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (1/1).

Panicle open (93/158), or contracted (49/158), or spiciform (15/158), or capitate (6/158).

Racemes single (1/1); bearing few fertile spikelets (1/2), or many spikelets (1/2); bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each (1/2), or 3–4 fertile spikelets on each (2/2), or 5–6 fertile spikelets on each (1/2). Spikelet packing contiguous (1/2), or lax (1/2).

Spikelets appressed (10/13), or spreading (3/13), or deflexed (1/13); solitary (160/160). Fertile spikelets sessile (4/161), or pedicelled (161/161). Pedicels filiform (2/2).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets (161/161); 1 fertile florets (161/161); without rhachilla extension (161/161). Spikelets linear (3/161), or lanceolate (50/161), or elliptic (38/161), or oblong (47/161), or ovate (24/161), or cuneate (2/161); laterally compressed (140/161), or subterete (15/161), or dorsally compressed (12/161); 1.66–7.581–19.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity (161/161); disarticulating below each fertile floret (161/161). Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (161/161), or elongated between glumes (1/161).

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure (16/161), or two (147/161); persistent (146/147), or deciduous (1/147); shorter than spikelet (147/147), or reaching apex of florets (2/147); thinner than fertile lemma (126/147), or similar to fertile lemma in texture (21/147). Lower glume linear (1/147), or lanceolate (13/147), or elliptic (1/147), or oblong (6/147), or ovate (109/147), or orbicular (11/147), or oblate (7/147); 0.1–0.8733–10.75 length of upper glume; hyaline (1/146), or membranous (125/146), or coriaceous (20/146); without keels (131/144), or 1-keeled (13/144); 0 -veined (62/104), or 1 -veined (47/104), or 2 -veined (8/104), or 3 -veined (13/104), or 4–5 -veined (3/104), or 6–7 -veined (1/104). Lower glume lateral veins absent (95/147), or obscure (9/147), or distinct (52/147). Lower glume surface smooth (132/147), or asperulous (4/147), or scabrous (12/147); without pits (147/147); glabrous (122/147), or puberulous (7/147), or pubescent (17/147), or pilose (2/147). Lower glume apex obtuse (56/134), or acute (58/134), or acuminate (19/134), or attenuate (6/134), or setaceously attenuate (1/134), or cuspidate (2/134); muticous (129/147), or mucronate (4/147), or awned (17/147). Upper glume linear (1/147), or lanceolate (14/147), or elliptic (1/147), or oblong (7/147), or ovate (111/147), or orbicular (8/147), or oblate (6/147); 0.02–0.2487–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous (51/71), or coriaceous (20/71); with undifferentiated margins (146/147), or scarious margins (1/147); without keels (130/143), or 1-keeled (13/143); 0–1–9 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth (133/147), or asperulous (4/147), or scabrous (11/147); glabrous (119/147), or puberulous (5/147), or pubescent (21/147), or pilose (2/147), or villous (1/147), or hispidulous (1/147), or hispid (1/147). Upper glume apex emarginate (1/137), or truncate (2/137), or obtuse (61/137), or acute (60/137), or acuminate (18/137), or attenuate (6/137), or setaceously attenuate (1/137), or cuspidate (2/137); muticous (125/147), or mucronate (8/147), or awned (19/147); 1 -awned (19/19).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren (161/161); with palea (1/161), or without significant palea (161/161). Lemma of lower sterile floret linear (1/161), or lanceolate (21/161), or elliptic (9/161), or oblong (5/161), or ovate (125/161), or obovate (1/161); 0.25–0.5443–1.1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline (1/158), or membranous (3/158), or chartaceous (135/158), or coriaceous (19/158); 0–4–11 -veined; truncate (2/140), or obtuse (6/140), or acute (93/140), or acuminate (24/140), or attenuate (4/140), or setaceously attenuate (9/140), or cuspidate (1/140), or rostrate (1/140); muticous (120/161), or mucronate (31/161), or awned (19/161). Fertile lemma lanceolate (31/161), or elliptic (14/161), or oblong (5/161), or ovate (113/161); coriaceous (160/160); without keel (157/159), or keeled (2/159); wingless (161/161); 3–7–18 -veined. Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (159/161), or scabrous (2/161). Lemma lateral veins obscure (3/10), or prominent (7/10); without ribs (160/161), or ribbed (1/161); extending close to apex (1/1). Lemma surface smooth (139/161), or scaberulous (10/161), or scabrous (15/161); unwrinkled (161/161); without grooves (160/161), or with longitudinal folds (1/161); glabrous (123/161), or puberulous (9/161), or pubescent (27/161), or pilose (4/161), or setose (1/161); hairy on back (38/41), or between veins (3/41). Lemma margins flat (154/161), or involute (7/161); exposing palea (154/161), or covering most of palea (7/161); eciliate (140/161), or ciliolate (6/161), or ciliate (13/161), or pubescent (2/161). Lemma apex truncate (1/153), or obtuse (6/153), or acute (97/153), or acuminate (27/153), or attenuate (3/153), or setaceously attenuate (4/153), or apiculate (20/153); without ornament (159/161), or pubescent (2/161); muticous (122/161), or mucronate (38/161), or awned (12/161); 1 -awned (12/12). Palea not rolled (153/161), or tightly convolute around flower (8/161); 1–1.005–1.1 length of lemma; membranous (143/161), or coriaceous (18/161); 2 -veined (23/96), or 3 -veined (12/96), or 4 -veined (65/96), or 5 -veined (19/96), or 6 -veined (31/96), or 7–8 -veined (9/96), or 9 -veined (1/96); without keels (17/161), or 1-keeled (1/161), or 2-keeled (143/161). Palea keels separated (110/143), or approximate (8/143), or contiguous above a sulcus (25/143); smooth (142/144), or scaberulous (1/144), or scabrous (1/144); eciliate (142/144), or ciliolate (2/144). Palea surface glabrous (136/161), or puberulous (4/161), or pubescent (18/161), or pilose (3/161). Palea apex dentate (8/8); muticous (143/161), or with excurrent keel veins (16/161), or awned (2/161).

FLOWER Lodicules 3 (156/156); membranous (104/104); glabrous (69/156), or ciliate (87/156); obtuse (1/1). Anthers 2 (1/150), or 3 (149/150). Stigmas 2 (138/138). Ovary glabrous (18/18).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (138/138); fusiform (1/4), or ellipsoid (1/4), or oblong (2/4); apex unappendaged (117/117). Embryo 0.12–0.2063–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear (9/9); 0.75–0.9375–1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION North America (21), or South America (163).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.