GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Chusquea capitata

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 5–7 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; solid; antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle capitate; globose; 1.5–2 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 5.5–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear; 5.5–8 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 0.75 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 11 -veined. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1995.

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