Atractantha aureolanata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; pendulous at the tip; 1000–2000 cm long; 5–20 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; dark green, or black; smooth; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths persistent, or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; 6–25 cm long; 4–5 times as long as wide; without basal lobes; glabrous; hairy on margins; auriculate; with 3 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 5–15 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5–1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; reflexed; attenuate. Leaves 5–13 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 2–12 mm long; pale. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect; 1–2 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.15–0.35 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9–17 cm long; 10–20 mm wide; light green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; 3–5 cm long; lax; with glumaceous subtending bracts and foliaceous subtending bracts; bracts 80–170 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 27–36 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 27–36 mm long; coriaceous; dark green, or black; shiny; without keel; 11–15 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; with distinct germination flap; glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 1 length of lemma; chartaceous. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; eciliate, or ciliolate. Palea apex lobed; 2 -fid (lobes 2–4 mm). Rhachilla extension 30 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 4–5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3; 10–13 mm long; purple. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Judziewicz 2000.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Branches subtended by green bracts; culm-sheath girdle glabrous.

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