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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 tenella
HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 3–4 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 10–19 cm long; striate; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several, or many. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled (above). Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long; petiole pilose. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate, or oblong; 9–13 cm long; 12–27 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; axillary.
Panicle contracted; oblong; secund; 2–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle axis glabrous, or puberulous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 9–10 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 0.02–0.05 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 9–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea apex emarginate.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1996.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
