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 barbata

HABIT Perennial. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; 24 cm long. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; extravaginal. Bud complement 20–25. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; erose. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7.7–11.7 cm long; 6–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 0.5–1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.1–12.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1–0.3 mm long; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.1–0.3 mm long; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. 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; 4.1–5.7 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 7–9 -veined; scabrous; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5.7–8 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 9.7–11.1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; setose; hairy below. Lemma hairs red; 1 mm long. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea 8.5–9 mm long; 4–6 -veined. Palea surface scabrous; pilose; hairy on back. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.8–2.4 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.7–4.4 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Clark 1995.

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