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 uliginosa

HABIT Perennial. Culms 200 cm long; 3–7 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 17.5 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–13 cm long; 4–9 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation with 4–6 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear; interrupted; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 6 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–1.5 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 2001.

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