Aulonemia madidiensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 200 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; striate; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly; 20–25 mm long; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 7–12 mm long. Ligule absent. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades ascending; lanceolate, or ovate; 22–33 cm long; 67–93 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 15 cm long.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 55 cm long; 40 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 20–40 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; (20–)25–35 mm long; 1.9–2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 5–6 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–3(–5) mm long; membranous; without keels; 1–3(–5) -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; (2–)3–5(–6) mm long; membranous; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; (7–)8.5–10 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2.3–4.5 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.5–2 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.5–2 mm long. 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.