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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 petiolata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; reed-like; 100–400 cm long; 10–15 mm diam.; firm, or wiry; with prop roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 40–120 mm long. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a false petiole; petiole 21–46 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 67–93 cm long; 70–110 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; 80–160 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1 -nate; 15–36 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–9.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.6 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.9–1.7 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; purple; 3–5 -veined; scaberulous; rough above; pubescent; hairy at base; bearing hairs 0.5–1 mm long; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 6–7 mm long; scabrous (above); glabrous. Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate. Palea 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; 4 -veined; without keels. Palea surface glabrous.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.4–1.5 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 3; 5.1–5.2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 5.2–5.5 mm long. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.
NOTES Bambuseae. Clarke 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
