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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 mollis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph; knotty. Culms erect; 150–450 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 10–20 mm long; membranous; brown; lacerate. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20–75 cm long; 20–40 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; lanceolate; 45–80 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 10–20 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 mm long; coriaceous; 1-keeled. 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 oblong; coriaceous. Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea coriaceous; without keels.
FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.
NOTES Bambuseae. Swallen 1996.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.