Aulonemia longipedicellata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; 200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blade base cordate; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–14 cm long; 30 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 20–23 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 30–90 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–23 mm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. 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 Bolivia 1997.

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