Aulonemia trianae

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete; 5–8 cm long. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one, or two. Leaf-sheaths viscid; striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–13 cm long; 10–18 mm wide; yellowish green (distally). Leaf-blade venation with 4–8 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 10–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches reflexed; 7.5 cm long. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or hirsute; hairy at base. Lemma apex acute; mucronate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Soderstrom 1995.

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