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Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Aulonemia insignis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms nodding at the tip, or drooping at the tip; 100–170 cm long; 1–35 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one. Leaves 9 per branch. Leaf-sheaths hispid; hairs yellow and purple. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 20–40 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 2.5–5 mm long. Ligule absent. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4–0.6 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades reflexed; lanceolate; 13–17.5 cm long; 40–47 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm (or few leaves). Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; globose; effuse; 20–25 cm long; 20–25 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches capillary.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 30–35 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–1.3 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 3–4.7 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5–6 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7.3(–9) mm long; herbaceous; purple; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 6–7.5 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.3–1.7 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.7–3.5 mm long; purple. Stigmas 2.
DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.
NOTES Bambuseae. Judz. et al 2012.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.