Aulonemia hirtula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 150–200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary; as thick as stem. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 8–12 cm long; 9–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 22–28 mm long; 2–5 mm wide; 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; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gr Peru 1995.

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