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 quila

HABIT Perennial. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 20 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; thinner than stem. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 6–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–10 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 5–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 3–6 cm long. Panicle axis angular; puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–2 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. 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; 3–4 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 4–6 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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