Aulonemia bromoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 159–200 cm long; 10–12 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 3–18 cm long; glabrous; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 0–5 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect; 0.25 cm long; 1.5 mm wide. Leaves 3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 20–25 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 18–25 cm long; 53–67 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 25–35 cm long; 17–22 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 30–60 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 40–43 mm long; 3–4.1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 1.9–2.2 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes several; 4 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.7–4.4 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.1–10.1 mm long; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11.7–14.9 mm long; 2.5–2.8 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea elliptic; 8.4–12.5 mm long; 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; veined; ciliate; hairy across the apex. Anthers 3; 3.6–6.2 mm long; orange.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Judz. & Shea 2011.

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