Poaceae
Gynerium

Gynerium sagittatum (Aubl.) P.Beauv.

First published in Ess. Agrostogr.: 138 (1812)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Tropical America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, as a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 0 - 2000 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
Vernacular
Purei.
[UPB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
A huge plant up to 8 m. high
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades up to 7 cm. wide, spinulose on the margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Plants dioecious, the female panicle plumose, the male glabrous; spikelets 3·5–5·5 mm. long.
[FWTA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; reed-like; 300-1000 cm long; 20-80 mm diam. Culm-internodes solid. Leaves cauline; distichous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blades 40-200 cm long; 20-80 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 100-150 cm long. Primary panicle branches profusely divided. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male inflorescence similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (glabrous); 3 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; glabrous, or pilose.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; glabrous, or pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; recurved at apex (upper glume). Lower glume linear; 3 mm long; 0.3-0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear; 7-10 mm long; 1.5-2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex caudate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets recurved at tip; female. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface plumose; hairy below. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex caudate. Palea 0.25 length of lemma; 2 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 2; 1.5-2 mm long. Stigmas 2.
sex Male
Male inflorescence similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (glabrous); 3 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Arundineae. Pohl.
[GB]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
berada, caña amarga, caña de Castilla, caña de flecha, caña india, cañablanca, cañaboba, cañabrava, cañabrava playera, cañafina, cañaflecha, cañaflete, cañamansa, cañamenuda, cañapángala, carrizo, chacla, chalare, chin, chin de Castilla, chulquín, flecha, guache, guadra, huatabo, isana, lata, palma de sombrero, pata de garza, pindo, purey, sigse, sise, sixe, verada
[UNAL]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2000 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2000 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés, Vichada.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Caña amarga, Cañabrava, Cañaflecha, Lata, Purei
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Materials Fibres
Leaves - Fibres are extracted from the leaves for basketry and to make hats and other artefacts (Linares 1994, Linares et al. 2008). Entire plant - Used for crafts (López-Camacho 2008).
Use Materials
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Branches - Used to make arrows (Linares 1994).
Use Medicines
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Uva Grass
Spanish
Cañaflecha, cañabrava, lata, caña amarga.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/