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 mulleri

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; pendulous at the tip; 700–900 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–12 cm long; 6–12 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 2–6 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1–2 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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