Aulonemia jauaensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 500–1000 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10–20 mm long; dark. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.7 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 15–20 cm long; 30–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 25–30 cm long.

Panicle open; ovate; 25–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 8–12 cm long. Panicle branches stiff; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–23 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; curved; subterete; 20–70 mm long; 2–3.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3–4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; purple; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 7–8 mm long; membranous; purple; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–13 mm long; 4 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 7–8 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Jud. & Davidse 2001.

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