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 urelytra

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 350–600(–1200) cm long; 2–10 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; solid; concolorous; distally hispid. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid; infravaginal. Branch complement many; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths 21–54 cm long; concolorous; antrorsely scabrous. Culm-sheath blade triangular; indistinctly demarcated from sheath; erect; 2–17 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hispid. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–2 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9.6–15.3 cm long; 12–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by a spatheole.

Panicle capitate; globose; 1.5–2 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7.3–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.4–1.8 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 5.1–6.3 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 1.9–2.5 mm long; 0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4–5.6 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.1–6.5 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–2 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 7–8.9 mm long; chartaceous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Sao Paulo 2001.

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