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 oxylepis

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent, or scandent; 300–2000 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 20–40 cm long; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; striately veined; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base symmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate, or ovate; 1–2.5 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–12 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; dense; 4–6 cm long; 3–4 cm wide. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 11–12 mm long; 2.5–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 4.5 mm long; 0.25 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 6 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5–6 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 9–11 -veined; scabrous; rough above; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 1.5 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; scabrous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 10–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 15 -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.