Aulonemia

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent (6), or short (44); pachymorph (44/44). Culms erect (20/35), or geniculately ascending (1/35), or decumbent (4/35), or rambling (1/35), or arching (1/35), or leaning (5/35), or scandent (17/35); 30–391–6700 cm long; woody; without nodal roots (1/1), or rooting from lower nodes (1/1). Culm-internodes alternately elongated and bunched (1/1); terete (49/49). Culm-nodes swollen (3/3); without obvious supra-nodal ridge (20/27), or with distinct supra-nodal ridge (8/27). Lateral branches suffrutescent (8), or dendroid (42). Branch complement one (30/34), or two (4/34), or three (3/34), or several (1/34), or many (3/34); solitary (23/25), or in a clump (2/25); at the node (49), or subtended by a bare patch above the node (1); with subequal branches (2/3), or 1 branch dominant (1/3); as thick as stem (6/6). Culm-sheaths persistent (4/8), or tardily deciduous (2/8), or deciduous (2/8); without auricles (3/5), or auriculate (2/5). Culm-sheath blade inconspicuous (2/14), or linear (2/14), or lanceolate (10/14), or narrowly ovate (2/14), or ovate (1/14), or triangular (2/14); constricted at base (4/4). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (43), or erect (6), or falcate (3). Ligule an eciliate membrane (36), or a ciliolate membrane (10), or absent (5). Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades persistent (46), or deciduous at the ligule (4); linear (4), or lanceolate (41), or oblong (4), or ovate (18); membranous (1), or herbaceous (44), or chartaceous (3), or coriaceous (3); stiff (1), or firm (49); without exudate (49), or viscid (1). Leaf-blade midrib indistinct (1/1). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (44), or with distinct cross veins (6). Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous (9/9).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence on the same culm as leaves (47/48), or on a separate leafless culm (1/48). Inflorescence a panicle (47/48), or composed of racemes (1/48); terminal (47/48), or terminal and axillary (1/48); exserted (46/48), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (2/48).

Panicle open (45/47), or contracted (2/47).

Racemes single (1/1); paucilateral (1/1). Rhachis angular (1/1). Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis (1/1).

Spikelets appressed (1/2), or ascending (1/2), or spreading (1/2); solitary (48/48). Fertile spikelets sessile (1/48), or pedicelled (48/48). Pedicels filiform (9/9).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets (1/1); 2–6–23 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension (5/48), or with diminished florets at the apex (48/48). Spikelets linear (35/46), or lanceolate (3/46), or elliptic (2/46), or oblong (9/46); laterally compressed (34/48), or subterete (14/48); 8.3–26.06–80 mm long; breaking up at maturity (48/48); disarticulating below each fertile floret (48/48). Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (47/48), or elongated below proximal fertile floret (1/48); definite (48/48); glabrous (46/48), or pubescent (3/48). Floret callus brief (45/48), or evident (3/48); pubescent (1/1).

GLUMES Glumes two (33/48), or several (16/48); persistent (48/48); shorter than spikelet (48/48); thinner than fertile lemma (44/48), or similar to fertile lemma in texture (4/48). Lower glume linear (3/47), or lanceolate (34/47), or elliptic (2/47), or ovate (12/47); 0.33–0.5993–1 length of upper glume; membranous (44/45), or chartaceous (1/45); without keels (39/39); 1 -veined (18/42), or 2 -veined (5/42), or 3 -veined (22/42), or 4 -veined (9/42), or 5 -veined (10/42), or 6 -veined (3/42), or 7 -veined (6/42), or 8–9 -veined (1/42). Lower glume lateral veins absent (18/48), or obscure (3/48), or distinct (32/48). Lower glume surface smooth (47/48), or asperulous (1/48); without pits (48/48); glabrous (40/48), or puberulous (7/48), or pubescent (4/48). Lower glume apex obtuse (5/44), or acute (35/44), or acuminate (3/44), or attenuate (2/44), or setaceously attenuate (1/44); muticous (34/47), or mucronate (6/47), or awned (8/47). Upper glume linear (2/48), or lanceolate (24/48), or elliptic (3/48), or ovate (23/48); 0.3–0.534–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous (45/45); without keels (38/40), or 1-keeled (2/40), or 2-keeled (1/40); 1–6–11 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous (38/48), or puberulous (10/48), or pubescent (6/48). Upper glume apex entire (48/48), or dentate (1/48); 2 -fid (1/1); obtuse (13/45), or acute (26/45), or acuminate (6/45), or attenuate (1/45), or setaceously attenuate (1/45); muticous (38/48), or mucronate (4/48), or awned (8/48); 1 -awned (8/8).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren (2/2); with palea (1/2), or without significant palea (1/2). Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate (1/1); acute (1/1). Fertile lemma lanceolate (26/48), or elliptic (6/48), or oblong (6/48), or ovate (11/48); chartaceous (39/47), or herbaceous (6/47), or coriaceous (2/47); without keel (47/47); wingless (48/48); 5–6 -veined (8/45), or 7 -veined (37/45), or 8 -veined (17/45), or 9 -veined (23/45), or 10–11 -veined (7/45), or 12–15 -veined (1/45). Lemma lateral veins obscure (2/2). Lemma surface smooth (43/48), or scaberulous (3/48), or scabrous (2/48); unwrinkled (48/48); without grooves (48/48); glabrous (30/48), or puberulous (16/48), or pubescent (5/48), or hirsute (1/48). Lemma margins eciliate (41/48), or ciliolate (3/48), or ciliate (4/48). Lemma apex obtuse (8/47), or acute (33/47), or acuminate (4/47), or attenuate (1/47), or setaceously attenuate (1/47), or apiculate (2/47); muticous (31/48), or pungent (2/48), or mucronate (5/48), or awned (13/48); 1 -awned (14/14). Principal lemma awn straight (19/19), or curved (1/19). Palea 0.8–0.9808–1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined (5/11), or 3 -veined (2/11), or 4 -veined (5/11), or 6–7 -veined (1/11), or 8 -veined (2/11), or 9–11 -veined (1/11). Palea keels wingless (47/48), or winged (1/48); smooth (43/48), or scaberulous (1/48), or scabrous (4/48); eciliate (27/48), or ciliolate (17/48), or ciliate (4/48). Palea surface glabrous (41/48), or puberulous (4/48), or pubescent (5/48). Palea apex dentate (3/3). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (37/48), or distinct from fertile (11/48).

FLOWER Lodicules 3 (46/46); glabrous (25/46), or ciliate (21/46). Anthers 2 (2/45), or 3 (43/45). Stigmas 2 (40/40). Ovary unappendaged (47/48), or umbonate (1/48); glabrous (3/6), or pubescent on apex (2/6), or pubescent all over (1/6).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (33/33); oblong (2/3), or ovoid (1/3). Embryo 0.66 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear (1/1); 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION North America (1), or South America (49).

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