Aulonemia radiata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–300 cm long; 10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; ascending, or spreading. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 6 cm long. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades spreading; oblong; 10–19 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary.

Panicle open; linear; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 30–50 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–4 mm long overall. Palea 8 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl Cat 1995.

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