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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Aulonemia patriae
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 300–500 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 50–100 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge; viscid (below node). Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary. Culm-sheaths persistent; green, or green and purple; concolorous, or distinctly mottled with last colour. Leaf-sheaths viscid (at apex); glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10–30 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.2–2 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades spreading, or drooping; ovate; 20–26 cm long; 40–80 mm wide; dark green and glaucous (above/below); discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 15–25 cm long.
Panicle open; pyramidal; 20–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1 -nate; branching divaricately; 15–34 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 20–40 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 25–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6–8.5 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 5–7 mm long; 0.75–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 7 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 11 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 13–17 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; ciliate. Anthers 3; 9 mm long. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 8–10 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.
NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
