Aulonemia patula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 250–500 cm long; 5–15 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 10–25 cm long; 30–60 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; globose; effuse; 20–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1 -nate; 30 cm long. Panicle axis angular; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 20–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 15 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–3 mm long overall. Palea 10 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Pilger 2001.

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